Blue Fields
by Kiome-Yasha
Summary: Roxas is an upcoming star baseball player who gets injured after an "accident" and ends up in the hosptial for some serious medical treatment and therapy. The girl who gets assigned to help him during this process is no other than intern Naminé Cole. With a strange mix of fate and luck, they bond, and eventually, heal a lot more than what was originally planned. Roxas/Namine AU.
1. Red Fields

Disclaimer: "I do not own Kingdom Hearts."

Kiome-Yasha: "I JUST want to post the first chapter to this story, to get a clear way of how I'm going to tackle this when my other fanfic projects are done. You guys are cared to read, fav, alert, and review if you want to ^_^. I would appreciate them."

Chapter 1 Red Fields

Naminé walked down the hygienic and pallid hallways with a soft hum of concentration in her steps. She held her clipboard from today's examinations, studying each one carefully just as her supervisor instructed. Being only an intern, she had a lot to learn. Thankfully, she wasn't alone—her best friend Olette was also doing her own share of training. However, they were in different departments. Naminé was in occupational therapy, while Olette was Orthopedics. They graduated last year from Traverse University with a masters in Occupational Therapy, and have been part of the staff ever since. Nearly two years have passed, and Naminé still felt like she was a student who was studying for her finals. There were tedious and needless exercises, day in and day out. For once, she wanted to achieve some type of recognition—that she can have her own patient to help treat. Olette already had about five personal clients recorded in her files, while all Naminé had to show was none. Besides being in the hospital, she also had her part-time job at Belle's bookstore. Things were indeed bleak for her career, and it wasn't getting any better.

She sighed restlessly after putting down her notepad. "I'm so glad I'm off this weekend. I seriously need a break."

"Naminé!"

The blonde turned and spotted her best friend walking towards her.

"Olette!"

She came to a stop and spoke, "Is your shift over too?"

Naminé nodded while holding her clipboard with both hands against her thighs. "Yup, I just finished my last check-up with Doctor Leonhart not too long ago."

"Great, because I got a text from Hayner not too long ago about having some fun together later. Apparently he wants us to meet him at the front. Whatever it is, he said Pence is already waiting for us there." She shrugged and reviewed the message once more in order to see if there was anything else she was missing to mention. "Knowing Hayner though, it must be something totally out of our standards of _**fun**_."

Naminé giggled in response. "Well, best not to keep him waiting. Not like I have anything planned besides go home and make dinner." She checked the time on her watch. "It's only 5:00pm, pretty early compared to our usual hours."

"You're right," she surrendered with agreement. "Guess it can't hurt to see what this idiot has in store for us."

"Well, let's go turn in our reports for the day and get changed then. I'm sure he's already here," she suggested with a smile.

Olette nodded and followed her friend into the locker room. They changed out of their uniforms and quietly made their way out. At that moment, Olette's cellphone began to buzz. It startled her, causing her to take it out. The screen was lit with the name "Hayner" on it.

She followed Naminé out the door with aggravation in her voice. "What is it? We're coming out now! Try to be patient!"

"Well, hurry up! We're on a _**time **_schedule here!" Hayner hollered anxiously from the other line.

"Just what is this fun activity you have planned for us anyway, Hayner?"

"That will ruin the surprise!"

"Yeah right," she critically responded, "I bet it's because you _**knew**_ I was going to refuse."

"Yeah, but…. I promise, it won't be anything you'll regret," he reasoned confidently.

"We'll see…" she grumbled before hanging up.

"Hmm…" Naminé silently observed the tone of their conversation. "My intuition tells me we're about to enter a guy activity zone here."

Olette laughed nervously at the possibility. "Why do I have the feeling that you're right?"

They turned the corner and stopped. They spotted the enthusiastic male and stared at him dubiously. He waved at them, wearing all types of baseball gear.

"Hey, let's go already! The game started an hour ago!" he shouted with exasperation, "I am _**not **_going to miss rookie Roxas Hayes's thirteenth homerun for this season! I paid too much good money for these tickets for it!"

"It's worse…" Olette commented dryly, "We're entering a fanboy zone."

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Demyx got into the dugout with a sour look of defeat on his face. He was out before he could even make it in. He took his helmet off and threw the cap into the bottom of the bench. Luxord patted his back when he sat down, knowing their chances of winning were pretty slim.

Axel popped his gum when he looked up at the scores. "Things sure don't look good for us." He shoved his shoulder into his partner's."Hey, you ready rookie? You're up next."

Roxas kept his head down into the hood of his helmet.

"Hey, Tiger! You're up!" Xigbar called from the other end of the dugout.

Number thirteen positioned his helmet on and got up next for bat. He detached his gloves from the back of his belt and slipped them onto his hands. He smacked them together with a bit of soil and breathed heavily from the pressure.

He stepped out of the dugout where everyone hailed.

Axel joined and applauded. "Bring it on home, Roxas! Got it memorized?"

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Both teams were in their last inning by the time they arrived. Traffic was brutal, and they barely got through the tunnels into the city. The number of the crowd outside and even to the audience inside was unbelievable to get pass. Luckily Pence was already inside with their seats still intact. People were rooting for their favorite team, each holding signs of support. Naminé was impressed by the number of them having "Roxas Hayes" on them. They had words written like "Thirteenth homerun!" and "Roxas will bring it home!" all over the stadium. This was honestly the first ever baseball game she's ever been to, so everything about it seemed mesmerizing. They reached the row where Pence was and sat in their seats beside him.

"Sorry we're late! We had some stragglers." Hayner spoke and glared at the two females, "So, what's the score?"

"Unversed is leading 9 to 8, bases are loaded, and Twilight is up bat. If they manage to hit a homerun, they could win the game. So far though, they already have two outs. That pitcher, Vanitas Holland is giving them no chances," Pence answered, stuffing his face with another piece of corndog.

"He must be juiced." Hayner heaved. "There's no way Roxas will lose to a guy like him!"

"You really look up to this guy, don't you?" Olette curiously asked.

"Well duh! He's like a legend in the making!" he countered haughtily, "Now shut up and enjoy the game!"

"Honestly, why did I even come?" she questioned irritably.

Namine tried to offer peace towards the situation. "Olette, it's not so bad. I actually find this interesting."

"That a girl, Naminé!" Hayner cheered with approval, "Here, you can have my glove! I know this is your first time ever seeing a baseball game, so you get the honor in wearing it! It'll bring you luck, since you appreciate the sport of our manhood…unlike some people~."

Olette rolled her eyes and decided to ignore his insult. Naminé in the meantime watched the field as a player from team "Twilight" got up for bat. The billboard screen flashed the name "Roxas Hayes" on it.

"Hayner, isn't Roxas that player you idolize?" she calmly pointed out.

Hayner burst with excitement. "That's him all right! The rookie of the year!" he placed his hands between his lips and shouted, "Bring it home, Roxas! You can do it!"

Roxas's helmet concealed the intensity of his cobalt eyes, his hair shading any weaknesses from being exposed. The number thirteen was bold and clean on his back. Everyone was chanting his name, praying for that opportunity to see that homerun. Roxas spread his knees apart and held his bat tightly to the side. He locked eyes with the pitcher, gripping the handle to his bat even tighter. They quietly provoked the challenge between them. Vanitas ground his teeth together and carefully exchanged signals with the catcher at home plate. They needed to compromise some strategy that could help strike the rookie out. If they could accomplish that, the game will be theirs.

The audience silently waited in anticipation. Naminé never realized how engrossed she was until she discovered how far she was leaning forward. The seats they had were across from the outer field. So the possibility of someone catching Roxas's homerun was pretty massive. Vanitas threw the ball—Roxas swung—and missed.

"Strike ONE!" The umpire shouted.

The fans booed the call, already waiting for another.

"Come on!" Hayner bellowed.

"Hit it!" Pence eagerly shouted.

Naminé grabbed Olette's arm, becoming equally as frantic. "Oh God, this game is too intense!"

"Naminé you're hurting my arm!" The female painfully yelped.

"Oh, sorry!" She immediately released her hold.

Soon, another ball hit into the catcher's awaiting hand.

"Strike TWO!"

Everyone in the crowd was getting nervous.

Roxas twisted his helmet and hit the tip of his bat onto the plate. He needed to concentrate. Axel and the rest of his team were depending on him. They couldn't afford to lose now, not when the bases were loaded.

"It's all on you man, bring it on home." Axel softly encouraged while chewing on his gum.

Roxas sighed heavily and tapped his foot once more onto the dirt.

'_Come on!' _he mentally chastised.

At that moment, everything was slow and clear. His vision heightened the moment Vanitas threw the ball. As the red and white sphere gradually made its way towards him, Roxas took the risk and swung. A clap that sounded like thunder roared across the stadium—it was a hit! The word "homerun" blinked erratically across the screen. Everyone jumped out of their seats and cheered from the phenomenon. It only took Roxas a few seconds to realize what was happening before he started running. He threw his bat onto the ground, and stepped on each base with his hand held high. His face was shown for everyone to see, including the cameras. As for the ball, it was going straight into the crowd—more specifically—towards Naminé.

Hayner stared at the incoming ball and then to the gawking girl beside him.

"Naminé!" he cried out hysterically in panic.

"Huh?" she snapped out of her stupor and found the ball inching closer towards her face.

"CATCH IT!" he urgently demanded.

With her hand held high, Naminé reached up and unexpectedly caught Roxas's homerun. It seemed so simple once in her hand, like it was meant to be there. She took the ball out of her glove and examined the item gratefully in awe. A smile bloomed across her lips from the memorable achievement, spreading warmth across her entire face for being a part of it.

That's when Hayner decided to spoil the moment. "Uh, you know that's my glove you used to catch it, right Naminé? So technically, that ball belongs to me."

Olette smacked the back of his head. "It's hers. You can't regret giving it to her now."

Pence laughed at his friend's misfortune. "Tough luck, buddy."

Hayner silently wept from the predicament he had put himself in. "Aww man~, it's not fair~. How was I supposed to know she was going to get it?" He started crying humorously onto Pence's shoulder, seeking comfort for his loss.

"Aww Hayner, if you really want it…" Namine kindly started with guilt.

"No, Naminé!" Olette sharply intervened, "You caught it! It's yours! That idiot is just going to have to suffer for it."

The blonde gave a mournful smile towards the grieving fanboy. "Sorry, Hayner."

He once again broke into manly sobs.

"It's okay." Pence patted his best friend's back.

"She doesn't even _**watch **_baseball, more or less even understand the game," he miserably explained.

"I know," he agreed with a sigh.

"Oh well…" Hayner sat up and smiled contentedly nonetheless. "I just hope it doesn't mean you'll regret it."

She shook her head to refuse the thought. "No! Never! This is a weekend I'll never forget."

Olette beamed joyfully with agreement. "I guess this outing was a good start for our weekend after all." She turned to the blond male with consent, "You did good, Hayner."

"Like you ever doubted me," he smugly interjected.

At that moment, Naminé smiled and looked out at the field towards the rest of the splendor.

Roxas's team went out and greeted the hero with open arms for his thirteenth homerun. They leapt with joy, happily celebrating their victory. 'Congratulations Roxas! Homerun!' was written on the screen, signifying his triumph for everyone to see. Before long, it was time to greet the other team with handshakes and high-fives. It was a tradition of respect for a good game.

Roxas was happily commended by each of his teammates and competitors. Vanitas kept his cap down when reaching over to the blonde in open hand. However, when their hands met, tension rose between them. The pressure of his touch was sinister and disapproving, striking Roxas's very core. The rookie turned to meet his rival's gaze and swore he saw a foreboding glare of revenge in his eyes. He dismissed it though as minor soreness from losing. There was no time for hostility, only glory.

This was the beginning step to his career as rookie of the year.

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Naminé came home and placed her personal belongings on top of the kitchen counter. She lived with her older sister, Larxene, who paid for most of the rent. Naminé noticed the leftover Thai food from Mulan on the table. She must have ordered out since she wasn't around to make dinner. She found her sibling sleeping on the couch with the TV on.

'_As expected.' s_he fondly commented within her mind.

When she closed the door to the apartment, Larxene woke up with a start.

"Naminé, is that you?" she asked with a drowsy yawn.

"Yeah, it's me. You fell asleep on the couch again, Larxene." she sweetly chided.

"Don't lecture me about something stupid like that, sis. I'm paying for most of the rent, you know," she arrogantly countered. "What took you so long in getting home anyway? I had to order out to make up for the _**dinner **_you left for me," she sarcastically stated with a pout.

"I'm sorry, I got held up by friends. Hayner invited Olette and I to a baseball game," she gently explained.

"Baseball game?" Larxene questioned with disbelief, "Was it Twilight vs. The Unversed? I heard Roxas Hayes performed his thirteenth homerun today on TV."

"Yes! That's the one we were at! I actually caught his ball!"

"Oh you did, did you?" her sister spoke with sexual implication, "So, how fast and hard was it?"

"Larxene!" Naminé blushed madly from her filthy mind.

The older blonde cackled manically with amusement towards her sister's innocent demeanor. "That just clarifies everything then. I heard he's a real heartthrob. Is that true?"

"Well…not that I saw him up close, but…" The girl mumbled at the statement, knowing she couldn't deny it, "…He did look attractive."

"I bet he did." The evil nymph grinned. "Firm body, all that dirt and soil on his face…not to mention that tight as—."

"Larxene!"

She broke out into laughs.

She soon flipped her arms over the back of her head and stretched. "The whole point is, you had fun, right?"

Naminé took out her victory prize from within her coat. "Yeah, you're right."

Her sister then waved her hand to send her off. "If that's the case, leave me alone and get to bed already. It's late and I got work to do in the morning."

"Oh right, sorry." She nodded and headed off into the direction of her room. "Goodnight~."

"Whatever," she grumbled before quickly falling back to sleep.

Naminé entered her room and changed into her pajamas right away. She was exhausted from the experience today, and favored the idea of sleep more than anything right now. She went over to her bed and placed the ball on top of her nightstand. When she got under the covers and rested her head on top of the pillow, she smiled. There was something truly comforting about that ball.

Somehow, she felt like luck was coming her way.

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The team sang in fanfare as they popped a bottle of champagne over Roxas's head. The blonde's hair was now moist with liquor, his teammates laughing merrily at the mess he made.

"You guys." Roxas shook his hair wildly and sprayed the liquid all over them in act of retaliation. "There, see how much you like it."

He chuckled handsomely with mischief before taking the bottle himself to consume.

"Woah! Woah!" Axel swiftly took the drink off his hands. "Not so hasty there, partner! Save some for the rest of us, got it memorized?"

Luxord soon added with the same amount of urgency. "Yeah, mate! Pass it here!"

Roxas wiped his mouth with a grin on his face. "Alright, alright. Take our your glasses and I'll pour some for the each of you."

Axel handed the champagne back to the rookie and allowed him the pleasure in serving them. They all got their share and raised their glasses high into the air.

"To Roxas!" Xaldin firmly shouted.

"To Roxas!" they all repeated.

"For being the one to lead us home for the next part of the season!" Axel winked and added.

"Here! Here!"

Roxas smiled from their support, becoming ecstatic by how fortunate he was. Fate had led him here to be part of the big league. He's trained his whole life for this opportunity. He felt like nothing could stop him from going even further. The only thing that seemed to be missing now though, was that thirteenth homerun ball. Whoever caught it, sure was lucky. It was something precious to him, so he could only hope that the person who caught would take care of it. Until then, he at least had his bat around to substitute for it.

"Axel, I'll be right back. I'm going to get my bat," Roxas announced while heading out the door.

"Good idea! We won't start the party without you, so hurry up!"

He chuckled and dashed into the hallway for the dugout area. "Okay!"

He made it to the end and exited through the cabin doors that led out to the field. It was dark, and he could barely see anything besides the tinted beams from above that surrounded the stadium. It was hardly even real to know thousands of people were just there—all just to see him. He turned and explored his team's dugout, searching patiently for his bat. It was long and crystal steel—he had nicknamed it Oathkeeper because of its unique brand of shine.

Still, it was nowhere to be found.

"Where the hell is it?" he questioned with a bit of frustration.

"Looking for this slugger?" The voice sounded dark and familiar.

"What?" He spun his head around in alarm.

Before Roxas could even make out the intruder, he was already knocked into the ground. His legs were the first to fall, and before long, they were the last to be broken.

End Chapter

Kiome-Yasha: "You know what? I actually feel…pretty good about this story. Yeah, even this first chapter felt pretty good. I guess it's because baseball in general has always been a big part of my family's life. It's a sport they love, especially my Mom. I got stitches once from playing baseball lol. So, I don't know, I felt inspired to try and write rokunami with it xD. I'm really anxious about how this story will turn out from what I have planned. And it would mean a lot to hear what you guys thought about it :3. I'm also doing research as I go, since I'm not a pro at medical knowledge. I'm still working on "Viola Lion" and "Whispers in the Dark", so this story might not get updated as much until those stories are done. And if you haven't already, check them out. Until then, give me some healthy reviews, okay? Be seeing ya!"


	2. Burgundy Fields

Disclaimer: "I do not own Kingdom Hearts."

Kiome-Yasha: "Okay, one more updated chapter. After this, I'm done xD. I go back to working on Viola Lion and Whispers in the Dark :P."

Chapter 2 Burgundy Fields

Naminé's alarm buzzed loudly throughout the house, disturbing the comfortable silence of the morning. She groaned from the sound, lifting her hand clumsily to find the device. It was blinking 6:00am, the time she woke in getting ready for work at the hospital. The weekend had sure gone by fast. She couldn't believe it was actually Monday already. She didn't feel like she got to enjoy the weekend to its fullest besides on Friday. It was sort of disappointing, but all in all, she at least was able to rest. She touched the button to her alarm and clicked the switch to off mode. Letting out a wide yawn, she briefly inspected the silence inside the apartment. It sounded like Larxene was still asleep. She must have rehearsed a lot over the weekend for her solo concert on Friday at the Notre Dame Theater. The success of her music career was slowly rising. The performance she made with the violin was beyond talent. She danced and used the instrument better than anyone else. It was something their parents had always been proud of, ever since they were small.

"Now if only I could do the same," Naminé whispered sadly.

Becoming aware that she was wasting time, she threw her covers off the bed and hurried to the bathroom to wash up. She grabbed her cellphone along the way, checking the time once in awhile to make sure she wasn't late. While she was brushing her teeth, a text message came. She read the name "Olette" off the screen. It was unlike her to contact her so early in the morning, so she was a bit nervous on what the message could be.

"I'm fired," she said jokingly at the mirror with an exhausted and sardonic smile, "Though I wasn't even hired to begin with." She brought her head down and gave an empty laugh.

She slid her phone up and inspected the message cautiously with interest.

"There's a surprise waiting at the hospital?" she skeptically read the text aloud, "Is she turning into Hayner? Those two can be so cryptic sometimes, I swear."

Not bothering to reply, Naminé quickened her haste. She jumped into the shower and vigorously washed her body. She grabbed her phone when she was done, checking the time.

"I need to hurry," she sensibly announced, noticing it was a quarter to seven.

Without missing a step, she grabbed her towel from the side and wrapped it across her body. Dashing out into the hallway, she hurried back into her room and changed. When she made it over to the mirror, she combed her hair into a tight ponytail and skillfully added her contact lens. Checking herself one last time for decency, she nodded happily with approval.

"Okay, I only got five minutes to make breakfast! Got to make this fast." She got out of the hallway, realizing she had forgotten her shoes. "Darn it!"

She quickly went back into her room to retrieve them. She was awkwardly putting them on while making her way over to the kitchen. Opening the cabinets, she took out a piece of bagel and swiftly injected it into the toaster to bake. While she waited, she prepared herself some herbal tea to shake off the drowsiness.

She impatiently began tapping her foot, taking little sips here and there from her mug. "Come on, hurry up…" Not long, the bagel popped out with a "Bing".

She leapt happily from the sound. "Yes!" She grabbed her purse and bagel, and was quickly out the door. "Bye, Larx! I love you! Wish me luck!"

The door closed, her footsteps echoing from down the hall.

Larxene lazily waved her hand from the couch and mumbled, "Go…ood luc…luck…zz…ZZzzz…"

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Naminé got to work in the nick of time. She parked her car in the faculty area and rapidly made her way over to the doors. She had received another text from Olette not too long ago, saying how she was going to meet her at the lobby area. When the automatic doors slid open from her presence, she was already bombarded with gossip from her friend.

Olette rushed over to the blonde with an eager look in her eyes. "Naminé! You wouldn't believe who came as a patient this weekend! Hayner is going to _**flip **_when he finds out." She gestured her hands excitedly from the juicy details.

The girl sighed and signed her name in for the schedule today. "Yeah, you were mentioning that to me this morning through your texts." She looked over at the brunette who was keeping pace with her. "It must be somebody really big if you're acting like this."

"Well, personally I don't care," she stated casually, "It's Hayner's reaction I can't wait to see."

"Wait…" she said. She paused and halted at the door to the locker room. "Why should Hayner matter?"

"Didn't you watch the news?" Olette asked skeptically, "Roxas Hayes was injured after the game on Friday."

"What?" Naminé silently exclaimed in shock.

"Yeah…" They both headed inside the room, allowing Naminé time to prepare while she listened. "…apparently he got beat up somehow. His teammate Axel Burnside was the one who made the call, sending him straight into the emergency room for surgery."

"Oh my God. Was he attacked or something?"

"I think so… to be honest, not much of the details are clear," she answered warily, "…but they said he was in pretty bad shape. He had multiple fractures and internal bleeding. Dr. Ienzo Leonhart is on the case since he's related to Squall Leonhart, who's a player on the team, the Lions. He seems to be in good touch with the coach from Twilight, Cid Highwind."

"I can't believe it…" She frowned from the news. "Poor guy…"

"There's rumors that he might not be able to play anymore for the rest of the season," Olette empathized softly, "And to think we just saw him play a winning homerun on Friday."

She nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

"Look as much as I want to tell Hayner to see his face. There's another reason why I wanted to talk to you about this…" she spoke gently with conviction, "…I was thinking this could be your big chance."

"My big chance?" Naminé seemed confused. "How so?"

"Well, he's going to need a lot of physical therapy, you know? And, you're part of that department!" She smiled encouragingly. "You should ask Dr. Leonhart to appoint _**you **_as his personal therapist! He can be your first patient without being someone's assistant!"

"No way!" She quickly rejected the idea. "Something like that is way out of my league. I mean…he's a famous baseball player. I'm just an intern. They would want someone with more skills to help with that. I'm not even a professional."

Olette leaned her head back with frustration. "Uh! Naminé! If you keep up with that attitude, you'll _**never **_amount to anything! You have to do this! Prove to them that you _**can **_do this! You don't want to be stuck as an assistant or intern forever! And I didn't want to tell you this, but they're actually thinking of giving me my own personal name soon as part of the staff of doctors in Orthopedics. We've been in this field for nearly two years, we promised we do this together. I'm not willing to leave you behind, but…you have to show me that you still _**want **_this. Talk to your doctor, I'm sure he'll let you do it once he realizes how much work you've done for them…especially in the children's clinic."

Naminé slipped on her white coat and closed the door to her locker. She slumped her shoulders down and breathed heavily through her nose. Her eyes traveled over the floor, deeply contemplating her friend's word in account of their dreams.

Knowing she was right, Naminé turned and agreed to Olette's proposal. "Alright…. I'll try."

"Thank you!" she chirped dramatically in response, "You won't regret it! I promise!"

"I just sure hope this guy doesn't turn out to be a jerk to work with," she answered hesitantly.

"Well first, you need to talk to Dr. Leonhart," The brunette commended peacefully.

"Oh…right…" She nodded from the reminder.

"Better hurry before they appoint him another therapist though. As for me, I need to get back to work." She made her way over to the exit. "Try not to overdue it, okay? Be calm and more importantly—be assertive! I'll see you during lunch break!"

She waved and took off into the hallway, leaving the girl behind to ponder over her thoughts. Naminé rubbed her face, shaking away the jitters that were already starting to form from inside her stomach.

She moaned softly with deflation. "What a morning. Today is sure going to be a busy day…"

At that moment, her name was called from the intercom.

"_Naminé Cole, Naminé Cole, please report to radiology department room D358 to meet with Dr. Ienzo Leonhart. Naminé Cole, please report to radiology department room D358 to meet with Dr. Ienzo Leonhart."_

* * *

The intensity of the blue screen of x-ray photos was the first thing that caught Naminé's attention when walking in. She closed the door to the room and found Dr. Ienzo inspecting each film curiously for diagnosis. It seemed like he wasn't aware of her presence yet.

"Um, sir, you called for me?" She spoke meekly with concern.

He quickly turned his head towards her presence. "Ah, yes, Miss Cole. I'm sure you're probably aware by now of our newest patient who we received over this weekend?"

"Yes, I heard from Olette. It's Roxas Hayes. He was injured with multiple closed fractures and internal bleeding, correct?"

"Yes, the reports tell us he was assaulted, but evidence have yet to be shown by who. We've been giving him painkillers and antibiotics for the time being." He pointed to the screen in front of him. "And as you can see here, there are numerous ruptures in the bones. Luckily he received minor injuries on his arm and back, but still, he would need to be constantly under surveillance and care for from overexerting himself. We suggested he stay away from playing baseball for the rest of the season, along with staying at the hospital until he's fully recovered to be on his feet."

Naminé observed the photos carefully with a sympathetic gaze. "Are you sure that's possible?"

"With the right amount physical therapy, it might be." He shook his head unsurely. "The problem would be, even if he does walk, he may never have the strength to play baseball ever again."

She sighed from his analysis, finding it to be too cruel of a result.

"In any case, I'm assigning Aqua to probably observe his recovery. I want you to assist her in anyway you can."

That's when she interrupted. "Um sir, if I may?" She immediately became nervous when grabbing his attention. "Maybe…_**I **_can be his physical therapist. I know I'm just an intern, but I really would like you to give me a chance in proving myself that I can handle this case."

She suddenly gulped, waiting for his response.

"That's quite a bold proposal you're asking me for, Naminé," he commented staidly, "To ask for such a responsibility is a little unbecoming of you."

She blushed with humiliation from his solemn remark. "I'm sorry, it's just…"

"No need to explain." He stared up at the screen and carefully mused over the idea. "I guess it can't hurt. You have worked really hard this year. I'm sure all your experience will pay off."

"So does that mean…"

"Yes, you have my permission to be his therapist."

Naminé beamed ecstatically from his answer. "Thank you so much, sir! I promise, I won't let you down you!"

He restrained himself from laughing at her joyful reaction. "Well, let's go see how are patient is doing. He should be up by now from the anesthesia. However, he's quite a restless fellow. So I really hope you can handle it, considering your sweet nature and all."

She shook her head, not wanting him to underestimate her. "Don't worry, sir. I'm sure everything will be fine."

* * *

Roxas lazily flipped the channels, searching for one of the baseball games that should be playing today. He was using his left arm, considering everything else across his body was out of commission—his whole body was practically covered in casts—from his right arm, to very inch of his legs that hung lifelessly on the support cranes. Axel sat next to him, trying to figure out a way to lighten the mood. Ever since the 'attack' Roxas hadn't said a word. The most that came out of his mouth was "Yes", "I understand", or "no".

"It should be the Aurochs vs. The Luca Goers today," he stated casually.

Roxas managed to find the channel and silently watched the game. "Thanks."

Axel frowned at his impassive behavior. "Come on, Roxas. Don't be that way. I'm sure you'll be fixed up in no time. The doc said so himself."

"I'm out for the rest of the season, Axel." He glowered at the television screen when he spoke, "I don't think there's really anything for me to be happy about until I know who attacked me. And I'm telling you, it was Vanitas."

"We don't know that for sure yet." He uncomfortably scratched the back of his head. "They're still investigating after all, and so far, there isn't much proof of anything."

"He was taking steroids," Roxas softly exclaimed, "I'm telling you, that guy was juiced with something. He gave me this nasty look after the game…I just know it was him!"

"Well, until then, we don't know for sure," Axel gently amended.

Roxas focused his attention on the game for the remainder of the conversation. "This game is really dragging."

At that precise moment, Axel's phone chimed with a message coming through.

He checked the text and spoke aloud to clarify it, "Seems like your brother is here to see you. That means I got to go. Got practice later for the game this week."

Roxas answered vainly with a heavy sigh, "Have fun."

Axel got up from his seat and gradually made his way over to the door. "I'll send your brother up. And cheer up! I'll bring back some sea-salt ice cream next time I visit. Got it memorized?"

"Yeah…" he nodded weakly, leaning his head back further into the pillows.

Just when Axel was about to step out, Ienzo and Naminé had just stepped in.

"Oh, Mr. Burnside," Ienzo spoke with a bit of surprise, "Are you leaving?"

"Uh yeah, got training to do for the game this week." He grinned with reassurance. "Besides, seems like you guys have everything under control here. I'll just leave my partner in your hands. His brother should be coming up soon though to visit him."

"Alright, understood. Good luck then."

"Thanks!" He turned to Roxas and saluted him with two fingers. "See ya buddy!"

He dashed out into the hall, leaving the two medical specialists to deal with the crippled athlete.

Ienzo casually made his way over to Roxas's bedside and cleared his throat. "Hello, Roxas. How are you feeling today?"

"Well, same as I did yesterday I guess." He shrugged.

"Hmm, well, that's to be expected." He examined his charts, checking for anything vital. "You're not experiencing any pains or tightness anywhere are you?"

"A couple of times, but nothing too big after taking some painkillers."

"That's good. Hopefully, we can keep that up, especially with the physical therapy we have scheduled for you." He passed the clipboard to Naminé, allowing her to check the details herself.

Roxas eyed the girl suspiciously with concern, reading the name "Naminé Cole" from off her tag. She looked pretty young to be a doctor or regular nurse. Her eyes scanned his information, making him feel nervous of the possibility of her role in his case.

Ienzo noticed his eyes were focused on the girl beside him, finding it to be the right moment to introduce the blonde. "Oh, excuse me. This is Naminé Cole. She's an intern of mine." He turned to Roxas, taking the time to explain, "She'll be your assigned physical therapist and caretaker during your healing process. She's young, but very bright. I assure you, one of our best."

"Your…. intern?" Roxas questioned hesitantly with distrust, "Shouldn't I have a professional taking care of me?"

Namine took the chance to justify her position. "I've graduated with a masters in Occupational Therapy two years ago from Traverse University. I assure you, I'm quite qualified to help you through all the basics in getting you back on your feet."

"That's nice," he replied with apathy in his voice.

"Um…" She looked over at Dr. Leonhart who only signaled his eyes for her to continue. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hayes. I heard a lot about you from a friend of mine. I was actually at your game this passed Friday…before the incident… I was also the one who…"

"Can we save the details for later? I have company coming up soon, so…" he tried not to sound too harsh, but his lack of patience was evident.

Naminé huffed a bit at his rude behavior, but did her best to remain professional. "Of course…"

"Well, I shall leave you two alone then to get acquainted. See to it that you write everything down of his progress, Naminé," he commented sternly while making his leave.

"Yes sir." She bowed her head respectfully in understanding.

Soon after, an awkward silence filled the room. Naminé turned towards her patient, his stare a bit too strict to be comforting.

"So…" he started to speak, "How old are you anyway?"

She took her eyes upon his information once more. "Twenty-two, if you must know. And it says here you're twenty-four, correct?"

He nodded in confirmation. "That's right. Though I don't know how that's relevant to my health."

"The same thing could be said towards my occupation," she countered hastily in retrospect, not liking the idea of being judged.

He gave a short chuckle from her shrewd response. "Well, got me there."

She smiled a bit at her own poise. "I'm just doing my job in making sure your records are correct before we proceed."

"I guess." He shrugged.

"We'll probably start your rehab after your stitches are cleared up from your surgery. For now, I think we can at least expect regular examinations in the meantime, to make sure there aren't any numbness or lack of blood flow that may result in blood clots," she simply explained in words she hoped were easy for him to understand.

"That's fine. The quicker we get this healing process done, the faster I can get to playing again."

She frowned at his brash comment. "Well, it's going to take some time, Mr. Hayes."

"Just call me Roxas."

She nodded in understanding and sighed with a bit of irritation rising in her voice. "Roxas…you must be aware by now that you won't be able to play for the rest of the season."

"So what? Are you going to tell me the same thing _**they **_tell me? That there's a possibility that I could never play baseball ever again?" he snapped.

"No…!" she retorted a little too dramatically, catching him a bit off guard, "I know some things are probably better left unsaid, but…if we work hard, you might be able to play again. At least, that's what I like to believe. I mean, you shouldn't give up, but…you shouldn't be too hasty either."

He turned away and sulked privately from her words.

"I'm sorry…that was a bit too personal to say." She brushed some hair behind her ear to show her obvious discomfort.

"You can say that again," he faintly agreed.

"Just…try to cooperate okay? We'll get through this, together."

He scoffed at her optimism. "Do they train you guys to say that, or what?"

She glared at him. "No, that's just me."

He sighed. "Whatever."

Soon a knock came from the door.

"Um, excuse me?"

Naminé turned and was shocked to see someone identical to Roxas by the door. "Oh! Hello? Who are you?"

"Ventus…you're late," Roxas scolded.

"Sorry, got stuck in traffic." He went over to Naminé and properly introduced himself with a warm smile. "Hi, I'm Ventus Hayes. I'm Roxas's older twin brother."

She shook his hand in greeting. "Naminé Cole. It's a pleasure to meet you."

He smiled warmly at her. "Wow, my brother must be lucky to have such a pretty doctor taking care of him."

"She's an intern, not a doctor." Roxas coldly expounded with a growl, "She's my physical therapist apparently and personal nurse now. So there's no need for formalities."

Naminé shot daggers at the blond athlete. "Well, I can see I'm not needed here right now, so I'll leave you two alone to talk. I'll come back for your regular inspections later, Roxas."

Ventus awkwardly rubbed the back of his hair, letting out a nervous chuckle. "Hehehe, guess I came at a bad time. Roxas, you should really be nice to someone who's going to be helping you get better. After all, I'm sure you'll be seeing her a lot."

"Well, she's not needed now. So she can take her lunch break or whatever," he turned to her and spoke with less aggression than before, "I'll be seeing you later I guess then, right?"

She answered grudgingly from the arrangement, "Yes. I'll be bringing your lunch up later as well."

He groaned.

"Sounds good," He spoke with drips of sarcasm.

Naminé nodded and bowed her head over at Ventus. "Once again, it was nice meeting you."

"Oh!" He gave a sheepish grin. "Same here."

The young intern made her way out the door, allowing the two siblings to have some privacy.

Once out into the hall, she sighed with a great deal of grief. She never expected her choice in becoming his physical therapist was going to have such consequences towards her schedule. Honestly, she didn't know how she was going to survive with an attitude like that. Then again, she should really sympathize more towards his situation. It's probably why he seemed so frustrated in the first place. There was obviously a boundary between them that needed to be taken down. The fact that he kept degrading her as nothing more than an intern was also a problem. In the end, she could only hope for the best.

* * *

When lunchtime came, Naminé went to meet up with Olette just like she promised. She got her tray of food and headed over to the table where the brunette was patiently waiting for her. She slid into the seat opposite of her and started to unwrap the foil around her sandwich with a look of murder on her face. It was if she was treating it like some sort of enemy that needed to be punished for insulting her in someway.

Olette leaned forward and laughed at the way she violently bit into the meal. "Um, are you okay, Naminé?"

"Perfectly fine, minus a cranky baseball player I would have to be dealing with for the next possible six months thanks to you," she fiercely grumbled while trying to swallow her food.

"Wait, so does that mean you got to be his therapist?" she questioned with a twinkle of elation in her eyes.

"Yes…"

"Oh my God, that's good news!" That's when Naminé words had sunken in. "Wait…cranky baseball player?"

"Yes!" Namine exclaimed defenselessly, "He did nothing but insult me!" She frowned with a hopeless sigh. "Olette, how am I going to survive dealing with him?"

"Oh come on, I'm sure it wasn't that bad." She comforted with a gentle smile. "The guy just had surgery, Naminé. After making it so far in his career, he's now disabled from playing for the rest of the season. I'm pretty sure you know how that feels more than anyone."

"I guess…maybe I just need to approach him differently." She carefully considered the situation. "I just never expected him to be so complex."

Olette giggled. "Well, most males are. Hayner being a primary example."

Namine smiled at the statement. "I just hope he doesn't keep treating me like some useless intern who doesn't know what she's doing."

"Trust me, just be real with him, and more importantly, be yourself," she gently counseled, "Guys tend to let their egos get to them. With this Roxas guy, it's clear that it wasn't just his bones that were broken, but his pride. Did you ever get to tell him that we were at the game on Friday?"

"Yeah, but…I never got to tell him about the homerun part." She took another bite of her tuna. "He sort of cut me off before I could."

"A bond between a physician and their patient are never easy. I mean, why do you think people confuse the word with patience most of the time?" She ushered with reassurance. "Just don't give up, things will turn out. I just know it."

"I'll try…but if he keeps up with this superiority complex like he did today, then we're going to have a lot of problems," she clarified firmly with a fatigue sigh.

Then again, when he corrected his brother's comment earlier, he never did deny the pretty part. Maybe she'll give this therapeutic relationship a chance after all.

End Chapter

Kiome-Yasha: "So there you have it! Our crippled Roxas has met his physical therapist Naminé, and already things are heating up between them. Obviously they had a rocky start, but things will get better for them in due time XD. Roxas is just cranky because of his circumstances. Soon or later he'll warm up to Naminé's charms ;D. And eventually, they would realize that they're falling for each other :3. Right now, we just got to go through their icky stubbornness xD.

Oh, and btw guys! Thank you so, _**SO**_ much for the reviews and support of the first chapter! I really hope the second chapter has met your expectations. If not, then I'll continue to make this story as awesome as I can. I really don't want to disappoint you guys after such a promising beginning. And I swear more characters will be coming in xD. Also this story _**might **_change to _**M**_ depending on certain situations I'll encounter while writing. This story _**will**_ have it's angsty and frowny moments, but trust me, it's not as bad as probably my other stories ^_^. I want to be able to write my own light-hearted fic for once with my own taste of humor. I hope you guys will come to love this story just as I will. Once again, thanks for all the encouraging words of support, favs, and alerts. They mean a lot—you have no idea.

So special thanks to: _**Aurumswan, Caramelized, Memeor, Kinmoku2, Gohan Roxas, Le Neko-neko, GuesswhoDMehehe, TheWitchNamine, Chaoshime, Sapphire Intensity, Rosekun25, Orgy13, RokuNami28, Guest, Gumi Harue, elspoek1, Polymoly,**_ _**Abominable-IcePrincess, **_and _**RedSeaGlassStories **_for the reviews. And thanks to _**XxVaniXxVenXx, emmausgirl94, Marionette of Ancient Relics, Eppsilon7, **_and _**chibixbabe**_ for the favs and alerts. You guys really made me happy, so thank you! I'll keep doing my best not to let you all down!"

Burgundy is a Masculine/Feminine- Yang pushing to Yin- Color and combines elements of Red, Brown and Blue. Burgundy is Fire/Water- Life Force Fire combining with emotional power- with the Southwest as its direction. Burgundy moves in the Spirit body, honor-creating justice with high ideals. It is excellent any time you need to outwit an opponent, conquer the other side, battle an injustice or even loose weight! Burgundy is warming and invigorating and it incites strong willed strategy. It is the best color when you need to gather a team together and get some real planning accomplished.


	3. Scarlet Fields

Disclaimer: "I do not own Kingdom Hearts."

Kiome-Yasha: "After updating Viola Lion, I can finally get back to updating this story. Hope everyone enjoys the new chapter! I'll continue to do my best! :)"

Chapter 3 Scarlet Fields

Naminé popped the lid open to the oven and took out the heavenly scented meatloaf from inside. After returning home late again, she immediately started dinner. She felt like her iron was low, and needed to take care of it. Larxene didn't protest, finding the dish to be one of her favorites when it came to her sister's cooking. Naminé carefully placed the tray on top of the stove and took off her gloves. She smiled at the bronzed color of her creation. Heat resonated off her skin from the warmth of the oven, causing her to turn on the fan.

She turned her head over towards her sister. "Dinner's ready."

"About time." Larxene growled while tuning her violin. "I didn't think it would be done in time before bed, considering how late you were coming back home."

"I'm sorry." Naminé arranged the table for them to eat, and poured their separate drinks.

She then spoke with a sincere tone, "I got held up at work with a patient today."

"A patient?" her sister inquired curiously.

Naminé sighed and decided to elaborate. "From this day forward I've been appointed to be Roxas Hayes's physical therapist."

Larxene almost tipped over from her seat. "Are you serious?" She cackled cynically. "I feel sorry for the guy then."

The insult didn't go scot-free. Naminé took half of the meatloaf away from her sister's hand, and deliberately prepared to throw it away.

The violinist quickly reacted to stop her. "Hey! I was _**going **_to say congratulations! You don't have to be so hasty!" Naminé passed the plate back to her. "Geez, what kind of person threatens someone's food anyway?"

"Well, you for one," Naminé answered blandly.

"Got that right." Larxene gracefully took a bite of her meal with pride.

"You're truly a bad influence," her sister reprimanded humorously.

"I don't hear any complaints. I'm at least trying to give you a backbone." She continued to chew before swallowing. "So, how is he?"

"Who?"

"Roxas Hayes, dummy!"

"Oh…" She tossed her food back and forth with her fork. "He's a bit…moody. I don't think I left a very good impression. Also, I think my staff rank bothers him. I honestly don't know."

Larxene sighed with disappointment. "Typical, you're always like that."

"Huh?" Naminé tipped her head upwards with a baffled look.

"You're too soft, Naminé. Man up and take control of the situation for once! You always let people push you around and make decisions for you."

"Sort of like you do?" she countered sullenly.

"Yeah, but that's only to toughen you up. You're more than a sweet face, Naminé, so start acting like it," she scolded.

"I can handle myself just fine," Naminé forcibly stated with confidence, "It's not like I'm going to resign my position just from one little mishap."

Larxene's scornful lips soon changed into a pleasing smile. "Good, that's what I like to hear. If you can stand up to me, then you can stand up to anybody. Even broody Roxas."

Ironically enough, Naminé smiled, finding her sister's morbid encouragement to be comforting. They continued the rest of their meal in silence, taking comfort in each other's company after a long time being apart. Larxene was constantly busy with her rehearsals. She had to keep the honor of the Cole family name. With their mother being a famous opera singer, a lot was expected of her. At least it seemed that way. Naminé always felt like the failure of the family. Due to her personal ailments in the past, she never did live up to her dream. Her self-esteem was pretty low ever since then. Even so, her parents still continued to support her. She couldn't ask for anything better.

Right at that moment, her phone began to ring. Naminé quickly inspected the call and found it to be her parents.

"Mom? Dad?" She touched the screen and answered, "Hello?"

"Naminé! Congratulations on your first assigned solo case!" her father Locke cheered from the other line.

"We're so proud of you, honey," her mother Celes added with a motherly tone.

"What? How did you guys…?" She stared over at her sister who casually whistled, her phone conveniently placed next to her hand.

'_Boy she was quick,' s_he impressively stated within her mind.

Larxene soon finished her meal and sped off to practice with her instrument.

Naminé shook her head and focused her attention back onto their parents instead. "Um, thanks Mom. Thanks, Dad."

"We knew you could do it!" Locke said joyfully.

"We know you'll do a good job in getting this Roxas Hayes person back on his feet in no time," her mother sweetly declared with certainty.

"I sure hope so," she said shyly.

Her father's voice became stern, "I promise, you'll do great!"

"Dad, you can't be the one to make that promise. It's me who's supposed to do that," she carefully explained with a light giggle.

"Oh right!" He laughed at his foolishness. "Well then, I promise to believe in you to make that promise."

Celes shook her head. "Locke, you can be so silly sometimes. But…" She smiled gently with admiration. "…you have a good heart. And dear, don't ever give up, we're rooting for you to do your best no matter what."

Naminé felt relieved to hear her parents' trust in her. She could only hope Roxas will do the same.

RNRNRNRNRNRNRNRNRNRNRNRNRNRN RN

The next morning, Naminé woke up before dawn. Larxene was still getting ready for work by the time she had left the apartment. She drove to work like she usually did—catching all the green lights. Naminé arrived at the hospital and scurried inside to punch in her roster. The session between her and Roxas was very limited today. The fact that she had part-time later at the bookstore, only gave her enough time to at least make amends. Their greeting yesterday was pretty bitter, so she wanted to resurrect it with a better one. Despite his rude behavior, she knew he must be hurting a lot inside. If she could just make him open up a bit more, it would provide a good start onto his therapy. Without Olette anywhere to socialize with, Naminé had set off towards the cafeteria. It was breakfast time, so she had to make sure Roxas ate before taking his medication.

She stepped into the cafeteria and headed towards the booth where they regularly picked up the patients' meals. Tiana was in charge today, and was humming harmoniously with the song that was playing on the radio. She happily passed out food wrapped in plastic to the nurses who came by to see her. Naminé did the same and placed her hands delicately on the counter for assistance.

"Hey there, Tiana. I'm here to pick up Roxas Hayes's breakfast," she announced with a kind smile.

The dark-tanned woman turned and beamed at the blonde. "Naminé! I heard about that! Congratulations in getting your first case!" She winked with approval.

The girl gave a bashful laugh. "It's no big deal really." She shrugged and blushed. "I'm here to pick up his meal for this morning."

"I got you." She turned and checked the organized rack of food. "Here it is!"

She slipped out the tray and handed it to young intern.

Naminé gratefully took it from her. "It's too bad they don't let you cook here, Tiana. You're an amazing chef. And thank you for the recipe you gave me last week! It was really great!"

Tiana placed her hand on her hip and nodded with a smile. "You're very welcome, sweetheart. It's a shame indeed, but don't you worry. I'll be there before you know it. Dreams come true from hard work!"

"Yeah, you're right. Anyway, thanks for the food." She turned and began to make her leave.

The southerner saluted with a smile. "Anytime!"

Naminé made her way out and proceeded to head towards her next destination.

"The pharmacy. That's where I'll go next before seeing Roxas," she thought aloud.

She turned the corner and found the area quickly. She smiled at the gentlemen behind the desk. He was distracted with a chart in his hand, making sure everything was in order on top of the shelves.

Naminé stepped forward and kindly greeted the brunette. "Hello, Terra."

He turned and briskly welcomed the intern. "Oh! Hello there, Naminé."

"I'm here to pick up Roxas's medication." She passed him a list. "These are the ones I need."

He took it and carefully studied it. "Yeah, I have them all in stock. Just give me a second."

"Okay."

She nodded and patiently waited for his return. He went into the back and started to collect the prescriptions she needed. Terra was a doctor himself who knew a lot about medicine. Apparently, he was a drug user in the past, and had redeemed himself by entering the medical field. It was quite inspiring, considering the number of treatment and therapy he himself had to go through. Aqua was his appointed caretaker back then, and ever since then, he had changed dramatically for the better.

Not long, he returned with a bag in his hand. "Here are all the prescriptions you needed, Naminé. Is that all?"

She took the bag from his hands. "Yes, thank you so much!"

He nodded and waved. "I'll see you later then. Good luck with your patient."

She sped off down the hall, shouting nervously, "Thanks! Going to need it!"

Balancing both the tray of food and bag of medicine in her hands, Naminé quickly pressed the button to an elevator nearby. She waited for its arrival, and prayed that Roxas's food wasn't cold yet. There was a chime, and the doors opened mechanically with a few passengers inside. Naminé huddled between them and pressed the button for the 13th floor. The elevator stopped numerous times at different levels before making it to hers. Naminé stepped out and quickly did her best to remember which room Roxas was in. There was a number sign bolted on one of the doors that read 1313.

"This is the one," she softly declared.

Fixing her posture before going in, Naminé gently knocked on the door—there was no response. She sighed and carefully opened the entrance, making her presence known.

"Roxas…?" she meekly enquired before closing the door behind her.

Again, no one answered. She frowned and became concern.

"I'm coming in…" she announced loudly enough for him to hopefully hear.

His room was a private room, so she didn't expect any other patient to be inside besides him. She strolled over to the other side behind the curtains, finding him to be well aware and awake.

"Oh…" she spoke dolefully at her discovery, "You're awake. Why didn't you answer me then?"

At that moment, she caught his attention and waited for him to speak. He stared at her with a daze look in his eyes.

"Sorry…" he whispered weakly, "I guess I was dozing off that I didn't quite hear you coming in."

She walked over and placed his tray of food down on top of the table, along with his prescriptions. She soon approached the windows and threw back the shades, giving the room some light.

Roxas winced and groaned from the exposed sunlight.

"Uhhh, couldn't you have warned me first?" he scolded while shielding his face with his left arm.

She ignored his plight and tenderly explicated, "It's dark in here. We needed some light in this room."

"I like the dark," he countered.

"Well, you can have the darkness back once I leave. I won't be staying long anyway." She came to his side and pulled up the small table for him to eat. "But first things first, breakfast."

He rolled his back up against the pillow and carefully watched her unravel the plastic.

"I'm not hungry," he blankly declared.

"Don't be like that." She passed him a warm smile of encouragement. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You need your strength if you want to heal faster."

"So being my therapist means you pick out my meals and know what's best for me?" he questioned suspiciously.

"Something like that." She shrugged lightly while brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's all part of the process. Besides…" She tilted her head and spoke with a sincere smile. "…I want to make up for any misconducts I made yesterday."

He was astonished by her wholesomeness. "It's alright." He turned away awkwardly with acknowledgement. "It was mostly my fault anyway for being such an ass. Trust me, I'm not normally like that. Well…sometimes."

She smiled with appreciation. "I understand. You don't need to worry. I promise, I'll do whatever I can to help you get better."

"I'm holding you to it, intern."

"Naminé."

"Huh?"

"My name. It's Naminé, not intern. Remember?"

"Oh…" He blinked with a hint of embarrassment. "Sorry, Naminé then."

She then continued to present his food.

Roxas frowned at the plate. "Do I really need to eat this? Like I mentioned before. I'm not really hungry."

"Just take a few bites," she persisted lightly.

"I'm not—." He was silenced with a spoon full of scrambled eggs inside his mouth.

"Now swallow," she instructed melodiously with a finger in the air.

He grumbled and took a loud gulp.

"There you go!"

He coughed harshly and exclaimed mildly in shock, "Who shoves a spoon full of scrambled eggs down a person's throat?"

She blushed and quickly apologized, "Sorry."

"I'm just glad I'm not choking." He sighed with relief.

"Um, let me try again." She switched to the fork and took a piece of the hash brown. "I accidently grabbed the wrong utensil."

"It's no wonder you're still a intern," he faintly criticized.

She winced from his claim. "…."

He cursed under his breath. "Dammit, that came out wrong," he silently scolded himself, "I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "No, it's okay. I know you must be hurting a lot, Roxas, so it's normal for you to be angry. So please, don't worry about it."

"I don't mean to take it out on you though, I just…can't help it. Especially when I know you're trying to help me," he openly explained.

"Trust me, I would be concern if you weren't acting this way," she comically applied, "It's all part your therapy process, so relax. Here..." She moved the fork over to his lips, speaking softly, "...eat."

"I really don't want to, but…if you insist." He opened his mouth and took a bite.

Naminé appreciated his cooperation. She offered him milk from time to time when he asked for it, quenching his thirst. Roxas blushed each time she passed food inside his mouth. True, he felt sort of degraded—like some child who needed to be fed by his mother—but also—it felt nice. After being tossed around between surgeries and medication, it was like he was finally being rewarded for his patience.

However, the quality of the meal was a whole other story. He wanted to vomit each time he took a bite. He was content though, and that was enough.

Once finished, he sighed and nervously scratched the back of his head. "You know…" He hesitantly looked away from her. "…I could have fed myself. I'm ambidextrous."

Naminé blushed heavily from the shared info. _'And he decided to wait until __**NOW **__to tell me that?' _

"Oh…. really?" She laughed tensely with humiliation. "That's pretty amazing!" she praised energetically.

He shrugged. "It's no big deal really, my brother is one too."

She took advantage of the topic. "Speaking of your brother, how was his visit with you yesterday?"

She felt like she was breaking through to him, their communication with each other expanding by each second.

That all changed though from the frown on his face. "That's none of your business."

She flinched from his tone, feeling like she hit a sore topic. There must have been a private discussion between them yesterday relating to his condition.

Roxas noticed her distance. "Look, I just don't want to talk about it, okay?"

She placed her hands on her lap and nodded with understanding. "Sorry, of course. I didn't mean to pry."

He remained silent and kept his thoughts to himself. Naminé looked over at the clock that was attached to the wall, finding her time to be short.

"Anyway, I have to leave early today for my part-time job. Sorry I couldn't stay long." She quickly changed the subject. "All your medication is here. I have it labeled and listed for you." She directed her hands over to the bag beside him, "Just make sure you take them with some water."

At that time, it seemed like he was finally registering what she was saying. "You're leaving? Already?"

"Yeah, sorry; but I'll be here tomorrow. All day too."

He breathed heavily from his chest. "Okay, I guess that's fine." He looked over at her with a defeated gaze, "See you tomorrow."

Naminé bit the inside of her cheek out of remorse. "Yeah, tomorrow."

* * *

It was lunchtime when Naminé made it to the bookstore. Olette was with her for the time being until her lunch was over. The manager, Belle, didn't mind. She gave them permission to socialize during their stay.

The orthopedic intern whispered lowly down the aisle of books, "So how was your session with Roxas today?"

"Well, it was going well," Naminé spoke while pushing some books inside the shelves, "Until, I guess, I brought issues up of his condition." She sighed with a bit of frustration. "It was my fault really."

Olette shook her head with disagreement. "No, it's not. I'm sure he'll come to terms with everything sooner or later. He just has to learn to either accept it, or ignore it. It's only a choice he could make." She smiled and shrugged. "At least he's not as bad as you predicted when you first met him."

Naminé giggled quietly behind the stacks. "Yeah, you're right. I guess deep down inside, he's just the sensitive type." She soon frowned with grief. "I just hope his disability doesn't get him down."

Olette shoved her shoulder against hers, poking her to lighten up. "With a girl like you around, how could he?"

"I don't know. My sister said I could be pretty depressing," she stated jokingly.

She soon scanned the books inside the children's section. Every once in awhile, Naminé read books to the children inside the clinic. It was part of her good will. She wasn't getting paid for it, but it was something she liked doing. The only problem she could see happening is juggling her time with Roxas along with it. She took out the "Jungle Book", finding it to be the perfect choice—not too girly, not too boyish—something perfect for both.

Just then, Olette's phone began to rang. Belle shushed her, immediately causing her to apologize and switch it to vibrate.

She took the moment to check who was calling her. "Hayner? Again?"

Soon, a text popped up.

Olette sighed with irritation. "This guy sure is persistent."

"What's wrong?" Naminé asked while placing the book close to her chest.

"It's Hayner." She regrettably groaned, "I sort of told him about Roxas being your patient. So ever since then, he's been bothering me to ask you to hook him up in meeting him. I'm sorry, but…is there a possible way that you can?"

Naminé answered doubtfully, "I don't think now is the right time. Roxas still needs time to warm up, and I think meeting some random fan will disrupt that. I don't think he wants a reminder of his life right now since he can't play. He needs more time before any of that could happen."

Olette nodded with understanding. "I see where you're coming from. I just hope things work out soon; or else Hayner will lose it."

* * *

Later that night, Naminé came back home without her sister in sight. She must have been staying up late again at the theater, or out partying. It was late, and she was pretty tired to put any thought into dinner. She made something real quick in the microwave, satisfying her tummy for the night. Whatever Larxene wanted, she could do on her own.

"Guess I should go to bed," she quietly announced to herself.

Naminé sluggishly walked down the hallway and entered the sanctuary of her room. She hit the bed and kicked off her shoes. It was cozy and warm, and she moaned peacefully at the feel of it. Tomorrow was another day with Roxas, so she had to rest early to make sure she wasn't late. Before she drifted to sleep though, she decided to go change. She got up and walked over to the dresser to retrieve her nightwear. Roxas's baseball rolled off from the nightstand when she closed the drawer. Naminé stepped back and carefully reached down to grab it. When she did, she stopped to admire it. Not long, she clutched it to her chest and sensed a significant touch of courage from it.

"Just give it time," she whispered gently.

The struggle ahead was only the beginning.

End Chapter

Kiome-Yasha: "No, the struggle ahead doesn't mean angst or any of that! LOL. Well, maybe some, but not extreme. This chapter was short, but since it's the beginning, I promise it's a sign for more to come. Basically, Naminé has her work cut out for her :3. Roxas is going to get some serious healing done, physically and mentally. And we're all going to sit back and enjoy it! :3 We were able to introduce more characters with even more to come! I'm quite actually excited for it all 8D! And you see? Roxas isn't a meanie as you all think xD. Him and Naminé just have to work it out. It's all part of his "Physical Therapy". ANYWAY! Thank you all for the reviews, the favs, and the alerts! I can't believe how many hits this story has got since I posted it. I guess you all really like it so far huh? Well then, I guess I'll keep doing my best for you all and try not to let you down ;w;. Let me know what you guys thought about this chapter, and I'll try my best to keep updating as much as I can for the next!"

Special thanks go to: _**Memeor, Kinmoku2, Rosekun25, GummyDrive, The Laughing Lama, Polymoly, TifaRokkuhato, SapphireIntensity, Gumi Harue, TheWitchNamine, XionKH, HUTATU, Chaoshime, Fasak, SummonerDagger88, RokuNami28, GeeGeeGeeBaby, dragonhero45, **_and _**Chibylove. **_And of course, for favs and alerts, thanks goes to _**dragonheart1938, ViChaN91312, Shoang, Crepe-lover, LOVElessLoser, RBPhones16, flowergothic, Jennyg98, ElitexD, asdfghjkl anime, **_and _**angelprincess ino**_. Thank you all for the support! You guys made me so happy!"

Kiome-Yasha: "On further details. This chapter's purpose mainly was to show Namine as a character, between her friends, colleagues, and her family, and to her newfound growing relationship with Roxas. Also if you guys ever want to talk to me about the story I have a forum, which the link can be found on my profile page. We can discuss about the stories I'm working on and basically anything you want. And there's a poll going on my page, so make sure you check it out! It relates to which stories I should update more, so do make your opinion known. Well, until next update guys! Continue staying awesome!"

**Scarlet:** has a little orange mixed with it, giving it a richness and brightness. It indicates enthusiasm and a love of life. It is a little less intense and more fun loving than true red, tempered with a degree of defiance.


	4. Maroon Fields

Kiome-Yasha: "I do not own Kingdom Hearts."

Kiome-Yasha: "So after constructive criticism from _**Redeeming Endeavor**_—I realized something—I suck. LOL, no, hear me out guys! I seriously need to step up my game, because my writing skills SUCK! I think I've failed in actually making this story better than it should be. Although there are some things I'm not willing to change—for example—Naminé's role as an intern. If you guys haven't noticed, she's a PAID intern. That does exist you know xD. The medical field is a high-demanding workspace, but they do have their share of interns. Thanks go to _**somenewbie **_for pointing that out! She's currently an intern herself, so I look forward towards her inputs. It also doesn't help that it's a key aspect to the story. Well, enough of my ramblings to succeed. Here's the new chapter you guys have voted for during the pass few weeks. Also, a shout out of thanks to _**Redeeming Endeavor **_for helping me out! **_FYI! I added something that serves as a key point to the story's plot (it's not new, because this story is already finished and outlined. Like I said, i'm not changing anything drastic.) I didn't add it before because I thought maybe it was too soon to bring up. Either way, I hope it works out for the better_. Readers, just be patient, please. This story has a lot of chapters ahead, so no rushing the plot, please." **

Chapter 4 Maroon Fields

"He didn't eat his dinner again," Naminé whispered, growing a bit concern, "That's twice this week."

Nutrition was an important aspect to the human body. It provided strength inside their system, including levels of vitamin and protein. Surely with Roxas being athlete he knew that? When she came in on Wednesday, she found his meals completely untouched. Thursday was no different. She was getting worried of it becoming a habit. Other than that, today was ordinary—besides a surprise visit from Axel. He stopped by to see Roxas in order to talk about the game tomorrow. She didn't want to seem nosy, so she left, deciding to run some errands instead.

Making her way to the cafeteria, Naminé kindly met up with Tiana. The restless sigh she made when dropping off Roxas's dinner didn't go unnoticed.

"What's the matter, Naminé?" Tiana sweetly asked.

The girl shifted her eyes downwards onto the floor. "Nothing…. just thinking."

"About Roxas?" She winked.

She blushed and waved her hand to dismiss any inappropriate thoughts running through the southerner's head. "You could say that, but probably not the way you're thinking."

"I see that boy still refuses to eat?" She took the tray and examined it closely with disgust. "Not that I blame him. I wouldn't eat it either."

Naminé leaned forward and spoke with distress, "It's still important that he eats!"

"I hear you." She nodded and dumped the meal inside the bin. "Don't worry so much though. I'm sure he'll come around when he's ready. It's only been one week after all."

"Maybe he's depressed," Naminé said.

"I don't think that's quite the problem," she thoughtfully added.

Naminé planted a firm hand beside her cheek in deep contemplation. "I wonder if there's a way to fix this. Energy is important to have when eating properly. He's going to need it if he wants to get better."

"Things will get sorted out soon. Stuff like this always start out hard," Tiana kindly interjected with a smile.

The blonde spoke loudly in agreement, "It wouldn't be rehab if it wasn't."

Naminé soon noticed the time and immediately became alert. "Well, I got to go, Tiana. I promised myself I would give Roxas a sponge bath today. I don't want to be late!"

"Of course you don't," she said with a suggestive grin.

Naminé grumbled and took no real meaning to it besides needing to leave. When she stepped out into the hall, she lifted her head up and froze in fright. An unexpected guest had just arrived—one she was not in the mood for. Safe to say though, she should have saw it coming.

"Hayner…" she cautiously whispered.

She searched the area for any type of escape route. Where was Olette and Pence when you need them?

"Namine…" Hayner spoke with an unsettling tone of purpose.

She laughed nervously and politely waved at him.

"Well, " she explained, "I have work to do, so…"

She slid to the right, in which Hayner followed. Without any further exchange of words, Naminé quickly fled to avoid him. Hayner briskly gave chase, a firm scowl etched on his face.

The hunt was on.

* * *

Roxas patiently waited for Naminé's return—his talk with Axel in the meantime keeping him occupied. The redhead flicked on the TV and changed the channel to the baseball game. Once Roxas saw it was The Lions vs. The Unversed, he immediately requested for him to turn it off.

The older athlete came over and took the chair beside his teammate.

"So, how goes the therapy?" he inquired while twirling his thumbs together.

Roxas shrugged and answered thoughtfully, "It's alright, I guess. I wouldn't really call it therapy though, more like training."

"Are you talking about that intern girl?"

"Yeah."

"Does she get paid or something?" Axel questioned.

Roxas pondered over the possibility, and responded, "I guess so, I mean, it is a pretty serious line of work _**not**_ to."

"Well, other than that…" Axel casually leaned himself back. "How is she?"

"She who?"

"Your therapist, of course!"

"Oh!" His gaze traveled over to the cold meal beside him. "She's okay, I suppose. A little weird, but I guess it could be worse." He spoke with a restless sigh, "She sure can be bossy though."

Axel laughed with amusement. "I could tell! The way she demanded you to eat your breakfast was scary." He thoughtfully considered the female in question. "She sure is attractive though. Wouldn't mind myself being in your shoes—that's for sure. If only they allowed them to wear one of those sexy nurse outfits." He let out a dreamy sigh, already beginning to imagine it.

"Hey! Stop that!" Roxas shouted, "I can't believe you're even picturing that!"

"Why?" Axel asked with puzzlement.

He shuttered and tried to explain, "It's…weird. She's my therapist!"

"Geez, you're such a prude."

"Whatever…" he looked way and whispered lowly, "At least I'm not a pervert."

Axel overheard him and playfully countered, "At least I'm not Mr. Broody. Boy, I feel sorry for the girl. Taking care of a guy like you must be exhausting."

Roxas ignored him and simply took his attention on the food beside him instead—in which Axel noticed. There was a loud grumbling inside the room, the source coming from Roxas's stomach.

"So, are you going to eat that anytime soon? Or do you want me to give you the usual?" Axel carefully asked.

"The usual," he replied.

"Coming right up!"

Axel leaned over his chair and picked up the cooler he had brought from home. It was disguised as a bag, the perfect ploy to their little secret. A soft chill rose up onto Roxas's face when they unzipped the bag on top of the bed. There was ice cream wrapped in plastic at the bottom, waiting to be devoured.

"All you can eat sea-salt ice cream," Axel stated proudly.

Roxas expressed his gratitude with a faint sigh of relief, "Thanks, Axel. I don't know how I could have survived this week without these."

"Just make sure that lady nurse of yours doesn't find out," he warned.

"I'll try not to," he laughed and grabbed a hold of one.

Axel did the same, and carefully took a bite when cutting off the plastic. "You must have been starving."

Roxas undid his and softly nipped the top. "Sort of. Like I said, Naminé makes sure I eat when she's around. She's really persistent in helping me feel better."

"It's part of her job, right?" Axel asked, taking another bite of his snack.

"Yeah, but…it's sort of annoying." He frowned, his eyes growing moist. "I hate it here, Axel. It's only been one week! How am I going to survive the rest of the month?"

"Hey…" The redhead patted his shoulder to reassure him. "You'll be fine. Before you know it, you'll be back in the team in no time."

He sighed, speaking irritably, "It sucks already that I can't even play for the rest of the season. This was my chance—and now—it's gone." He leaned his head back into his pillow, and slipped the rest of the ice cream inside his mouth.

Axel poked his shoulder. "Hey!" he scolded, "None of that now. How's that supposed to make me feel knowing I got to play tomorrow? We play to win, not to lose."

"Talking about baseball, let's see how the scores are going."

"You sure you want to check?" Axel hesitantly queried.

He nodded, needing confirmation on who was winning. Tension rose inside Roxas's chest the moment the television turned on. It was hard to see, given how small the screen was. Axel leaned in and checked on the scores. He grimaced at the numbers. They weren't favored by either of them.

"Lions, eight. Unversed, twelve," he whispered desolately.

"Dammit," Roxas cursed under his breath and proceeded to study the field. "It's the final inning too."

Vanitas was pitching. Roxas couldn't bear to watch anymore.

"Turn it off," he bitterly requested.

Axel obeyed and spoke cogently, "Playing the game is easy, watching it is hard."

"Got that right."

They checked on the time, causing Axel to point out with concern, "Where's that therapist of yours? She's running late and I got practice later to get to."

Roxas was aware of her tardiness as well.

"Maybe she got held up?" he spoke with mild concern.

"Well, I hope she gets here soon," he droned. "What are you guys planning anyway?"

"Nothing special, just a sponge bath." Roxas blushed, trying not to make a big deal out of it.

"Ohhh, a 'sponge bath'." Axel used his fingers as quotation marks.

"Shut up! It's strictly professional!" he countered.

Axel chuckled with a cheeky grin. "Yeah, sure."

Even so, she was late. Roxas shifted his gaze onto the door, expecting her to come in at any given moment. She was usually punctual, always arriving on time when she promised. What exactly was taking her so long? Roxas didn't want to seem like he was worried, but either way, he wanted to know.

* * *

Naminé sprinted by Aqua and Terra, Hayner following closely behind. She felt his overpowering presence and gulped nervously when she turned the corner to avoid him. She gasped and rapidly swiveled around her boss, Ienzo who came out nowhere. He calmly lectured her to slow down, almost hitting Hayner in the process. She took this chance to leap out into the side behind some incoming surgeons. Looking back, she sighed with relief when she didn't spot him anywhere. Just when she thought she was safe, he magically appeared.

He caught her off guard from behind, leaving her breathless. "Hayner!" she exclaimed in fright.

"No more running away, Naminé," he spoke victoriously, "I got you."

"Is this about, Roxas?" she questioned.

His bottom lip curved upward. "You know damn right it is!"

"Hayner…." she sighed and explained, "I can't let you see him."

"Why not?" he asked.

"Well, for one, I've only just met the guy," she gently argued, "I can't have people barge in there and start harassing him, you know. He's my responsibility."

"Who said anything about harassing him?"

She answered frankly, "The answer is still no."

"Naminé…" he pleadingly moaned, "…I need this! Not only as a fan, but also as a sports journalist! If I could interview him, my article will be gold!"

"Do you really need it now?" she asked.

He looked away and shrugged.

"No, not really," he answered with a sigh.

"Look." Naminé took a moment to consider their options. "I can't promise anything, but I'll try to manage something."

"Could it possibly be today?" he eagerly asked.

"No!" she quietly exclaimed, "Hayner, you either accept the offer, or you don't. Either way, I have no problems in calling security, or worse…Olette."

His whole body became rigid from the terrifying threat.

"Please don't," he implored with an obvious tone of fear, "anything but that!" He nervously checked the halls. "If she even knew I was here, bothering you like this—she'll have my head."

She smiled and kindly lectured, "Then it's settled, don't ever do this again. You can seriously harm my job."

"I'm sorry." He scratched the back of his neck with remorse. "It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't."

"Guess I should head back and meet with Pence. We have stuff to edit anyway."

"Good luck. I'm sure something will come up once Roxas improves in his condition. Trust me, you'll be the first to know when it does," she vowed.

"You better be right!" he called, already taking his leave.

She kept watch on him, making sure he didn't make any detours to trick her. When he vanished, she sighed with relief.

"Glad that's over. I wasted so much time. I hope Roxas doesn't get upset. I still need to get the supplies for his bath," she said with concern.

She checked the time and hastily made her way down the empty hallway.

"Better hurry!" she demanded.

The disruption her and Hayner caused was immediately forgotten—there wasn't much of a scene to even remember it. Naminé disappeared around the corner, proceeding with her duties. Unbeknownst to her though, someone was watching. A man with long silver hair and turquoise eyes stepped out from within his office. His uniform held indication that he was a doctor. There was a badge on his coat that read the name 'Riku Watanabe' on it. Adding to his curiosity, he gazed ahead where the girl once was.

He smiled, becoming intrigued.

* * *

Naminé entered inside the room, carrying a bucket full of bath supplies in her hands. She caught Roxas and Axel's attention, and immediately started to apologize.

"I'm sorry for my tardiness. I had to take care of something," she said.

Roxas kindly shook his head. "You don't need to explain," he inserted.

He violently pushed the bag full of ice cream over to Axel. He caught it and embraced it tightly to his chest. Naminé stared at them suspiciously, but didn't question it.

"Anyway, I'm back. So we can start your bath anytime, Roxas," she announced happily.

"You don't have to sound so happy about it," he said with a blush.

Axel grinned and stood up to make his leave. "Well, looks like this is my cue."

"Oh you don't have to go if you don't want to," Naminé humbly declared, "I'm sure you guys are used to this sort of thing in the showers, right?"

"Not really," he answered, "There are just some things I rather not see. Roxas's naked private parts being one of them."

He tossed the bag over his shoulder and headed out the door. "Be seeing ya. I'll come back and visit over the weekend, Roxas. Catch you later!"

The blonde waved with a reluctant sigh.

"See ya," he said, "And good luck with the game tomorrow!"

"Will do!"

When Axel closed the door, Naminé turned to Roxas and asked curiously, "What team are they playing against tomorrow?"

"The Eidolons," he answered with a bit of concern, "They're pretty tough."

"I'm sure they can handle it." She took the bucket and headed over to the bathroom. "I'll go fill this up with water and then we can get started."

He blushed and spoke hesitantly, "Um…ok—okay."

He patiently waited for her return, his eyes wandering occasionally to the bathroom. The sound of water came from the door, his mind escalating anxiously with lewd thoughts. Roxas blushed and avoided thinking about it, his heart beating wildly. Not long, Naminé stepped out and noticed how uncomfortable he was.

"Roxas, are you okay?" she asked, walking over and placing the bucket down beside his bed.

"I'm fine," he muttered, doing his best to relax.

"You don't have to be embarrassed," she said amongst a giggle, closing the shades around them for some privacy, "I promise I won't do anything that will make you uncomfortable. It's just a sponge bath."

There was an immense burst of scarlet on his face. "I know that," he whispered cogently.

She reached for the strap to his gown and undid the string. Roxas shuddered from the exposure of his body, breathing heavily. Luckily, his lower region was kept covered by the sheets.

"Okay, just relax," Naminé softly instructed.

He nodded and did as she said. Naminé dipped her hand into the bucket to grab the sponge. She rinsed it out and carefully began patting it across his back. Drips of water slipped down the curve of his spine, warming Roxas's skin instantly from the cold.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he answered.

She stretched her hand out. "Here, give me your left arm."

He lifted his arm over to her, allowing her to wash it. Naminé rubbed the sponge over his arm and delicately erased all the muck he obtained during the week. She then went over his shoulder and scrubbed over to the opposite site. There was only room for her to wash his shoulder, avoiding his cast as much as possible. Roxas grimaced at the sight of it.

"So…" he spoke curiously, "How long do I have to keep these things on anyway? Before I can start walking and stuff?"

"Six weeks for your arm. As for your legs, probably more than that," she answered.

"Six weeks?" he silently exclaimed.

Naminé spoke with a sympathetic frown, "Sorry."

He was overwhelmed by the idea, shaking his head with disbelief.

"I just can't believe I have to wait that long," he irritably claimed, "I honestly didn't think it was that bad."

"It's normal for it to take that long though."

"Still, six weeks…" he whispered, "And to think, I still need rehab after this."

She felt the tension in his muscles, gliding her hand nervously across his chest.

"Roxas, it'll be okay. Just try to be patient, you've only been here for a week."

"You make it sound so easy," he scoffed.

"I just think it's better than just complaining about it." She gently held his back, washing his torso.

He blushed at how close her hand was to his groin.

"Fine, I'll try to see it your way," he answered gruffly.

She smiled and decided to change the subject on a more positive note.

"How's your arm and legs anyway? Feeling any better than before?"

"Yeah, a little," he answered with a shrug, "I don't use the painkillers as much as before. And we're supposed to take out my stiches sometime during the end of the month."

"Oh, that's good to know."

"What about you?"

"Huh?"

He chuckled at her bewildered face. "Well…it's just…I hope I'm not being too much trouble for you."

"What?" She shook her head in disbelief. "You're no trouble at all, Roxas. If anything, I'm happy."

"I guess that can't be helped. You are touching me practically naked," he lightly joked.

Her body stiffened by his somewhat flirtatious words. Naminé's face became rosy—although—she did her best to ignore it.

"It's not like that,'' she said, "I just don't want to fail. To be honest, I worry that I might." She focused her eyes onto his, speaking softly, "You're my patient, Roxas. It's only right for me to worry about you."

Roxas's eyes widened with disbelief, his heart literally skipping a beat. He gulped, and felt his body go rigid. After all the crap he's given her, how was he supposed to respond to that? She was nothing more than an intern, but at least she cared. All the other physicians he met have been either dull or unsympathetic, giving him no sign of hope. Naminé was the first to actually care about his wellbeing—her forceful tactic of warmth, oddly even comforting. There was no reason why he shouldn't trust her, doing so just made him look like a jerk.

It was only just a matter of time.

"Naminé, I…"

The door opened and interrupted his thoughts.

"Naminé?"

Both turned towards the voice of their unexpected guest.

"Riku!"

He smiled and casually walked over to the two blondes. "I thought I might find you here."

"What are you doing here?" she asked in shock.

Roxas instinctively brought his robe up to cover his body. He was personally annoyed by the man's presence.

"I just wanted to check on you. I saw you with Hayner, and I overheard you guys talking about your patient," he said. He looked over at Roxas and gave him a humble nod. "It's a honor to meet you, Roxas Hayes. I've heard quite a lot about you. I wasn't aware we had a celebrity in our hospital."

"Really? Then you must have been living under a rock," he rudely remarked.

"Roxas!" Naminé shouted, scolding him silently with her eyes.

Riku lifted his hand up to calm her.

"It's alright," he said, "It's normal for a patient like him to be aggressive."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Roxas seethed, "Your status as a doctor doesn't give you any right to treat me like some sort of washed-up nobody."

Riku shook his head from the sudden outburst of hostility. He quickly did his best to repair it from escalating.

"I apologize, Roxas. It wasn't my intention to make you feel that way," he answered, "I only came to check up on Naminé."

"Riku, you don't have to worry about me," she said, "I'm able to take care of things without your supervision."

"Sorry, it's just…" he paused, allowing his thoughts to continue, "Old habits die hard."

Roxas scowled at the man, his words indicating something intimate.

"Well then, I should go. Sorry for interrupting your bath, Roxas." Riku started making his way out. "I just want to see how things were going. Seems like you two are getting along and are progressing well. I'll come visit another time. Let me know if you ever need anything."

He walked behind the curtains surrounding the bed and quietly left the room.

"Who exactly was that?" Roxas asked, obviously annoyed.

Naminé fidgeted uncomfortably, peaking his interest even further.

"That's Riku Watanabe," she answered tensely, "He's a surgeon here. We used to…date."

"Used to?"

"It was only when we were in college. We never did get serious," she explained.

"I never knew a guy like that was your type," he declared with disappointment.

"Doesn't matter. We're over now."

"Didn't seem like it to him."

Naminé frowned at his implication.

"So, why did you two break up anyway?" he asked.

Her hands froze when reaching for the towel.

"It's more like I broke up with him," she answered, "Our relationship was nothing but work—honestly—I didn't think it was anything more besides that. I don't want him to think he holds responsibility for me either for what happened between us."

Roxas's heart clenched with sympathy.

"Either way, I don't think you should feel bad about it," he said, shrugging lightly, "He didn't look like Mr. Right anyway."

She was stunned by his support, never expecting it.

"Maybe you're right," she said between laughter. She grabbed the towel and softly pressed it against his skin. "It's all in the past, and we really shouldn't be talking about it. So, let's just get you dried up."

"If you insist," he said, quietly obeying her demands.

RNRNRNRNRNRNRNRNRNRNRNRNRNRN 

Naminé had gone home for the night, much to Roxas's distress. It wasn't like he missed her, but the company had at least felt nice. He was bored, the TV being his only source of entertainment. He got comfortable and carefully shifted his eyes over to the clock. Visiting hours were nearly over—Ventus had promised to come see him tonight.

'_I wonder if he got held up again,' _he mentally inquired.

He turned off the TV. "Maybe I should sleep?"

A knock came from the door. "Really? Then my visit would be for nothing."

Roxas quickly veered his eyes over to his brother. "Ventus!"

"Sorry I'm late," he said, walking over to his bedside, "It was my turn to tuck the kids in tonight. I couldn't argue with my wife—that would be asking for a death wish."

"How are Fuu and the kids anyway?"

"They're good. I'm planning to bring them over to visit during the weekend," he said, "That's if you don't mind."

"Of course not. They're my family too," he claimed defensively.

"I just wanted to make sure. You haven't really been yourself since the incident you know."

Roxas shifted his gaze over to the window, his thoughts becoming hazy.

"Did you get the results about Vanitas?" he asked, changing the subject.

Ventus became quiet, his eyes awkwardly avoiding his brother's.

"Yeah, I did," he answered, "It was negative. So any leads on him even taking steroids are pretty much scarce at this point."

"What? You got to be kidding me!" he fumed.

Ventus shook his head. "I'm sorry Roxas, I wish I was. The fact is, you being a witness is not enough, especially since you didn't even see your attacker."

"It has to be him! His voice…it was Vanitas for sure," he insisted, gritting his teeth.

"Listen," Ventus spoke carefully, "Just let this go, Roxas. The only thing that's important right now is that you're alive. You should be focusing your energy in getting better rather than some hunt for justice."

"I can't, I can't just forget about it." Roxas leaned back, glaring at his broken limbs. "Not when everything has been taken away from me."

Even if his bones healed, his heart suffered too much damage. Ventus frowned at the realization, and found no other hope of it ever changing—at least—not anytime was always hardheaded that way, cocky even. He got ahead of himself and paid the prize, which wasn't anything he deserved. It's only been one week, and it already felt like he lost purpose—he hadn't seen him like this since Xion. There had to be some light at the end of the tunnel though, right? Maybe this rehab will serve more than he'll realize.

Ventus could only hope.

End Chapter

Kiome-Yasha: "Oh Roxas, just shut up with your angst and move on. Then again, you can't really blame the guy. At least you saw him lightening up. I think that's always good. I refuse to make this story depressing. It's important, but it's also not serious. I'm a little disappointed about the closing to this chapter. I don't know—it feels off to me. I just can't seem to fix it no matter how many times I read it. Also, I wonder if you guys like the new improvement to my grammar—at least I hope there's improvement. Sadly, there was a bit of a shortage of feedback in the last chapter. I'm still happy that so many new readers are adding this story to their favorites and alerts though! :3 And I greatly appreciate all the support. It honestly means a lot to me! And your reviews and comments are always appreciated! So, once again, thank you! :D"

Special thanks to _**SummonerDagger88, Kinmoku2, TheWitchNamine, RokuNami28, somenewbie, GummyDrive, Rosekun25, Heyyyy101, Chibylove, Neko chi, **_and _**Lukarion **_for the reviews! Also thanks goes out to _**zombiekilla123, LightTheDarkness14, timekeeper1824, Roxas4ever13, Yourfan23, KittiesOnTheDarkSide, DestinyKeyblader28, FullmetalShortStack, XxKyreenxX, StrangerWithAMoustache, ImagineBreaker13, Pikachu0711, **_and_** Namine-Kairi0123 **_for all the favs and alerts!

Kiome-Yasha: "Well guys, I won't be updating this story for a while, probably not until November. The reason being I'm working on a Halloween project with a friend of mine, Annria2002 from deviantart. We're making "Carnival of Rust 2". The first "Carnival of Rust" can be found on my profile page—any are welcomed to read it. I'm also going through some personal stuff right now, so my schedule is a bit everywhere. I'm sorry that you guys might have to wait a month for an update, but I'll try my best not to make it seem that long! However, I also just want to work on "Whispers in the Dark" and "Eden Skies" for a bit. I haven't updated those stories in forever.

Also, if you noticed, I have a cover art for this story now! _**Chibylove **_made it :3!When I saw it on deviantart I was happy and shocked! I asked her permission to post a link to it on my profile page, which she accepted! So be sure to check it out! :D It's a very lovely contribution to the first chapter of Blue Fields ;w;. I'm very grateful she loves the story so much to make fanart for it. I don't mind readers drawing scenes from the story—it's actually an honor if they do. I would definitely give credit!

Well until next update, guys! I'll do my best to work on it when I can! In the meantime, reviews are always nice! :D I want to hear what you guys think of the story so far, including your thoughts on this chapter. I hope you look forward to the next one! ;D

**Maroon:** Harsh experience has probably matured the Maroon person into someone likeable and generous. It is often a favorite color of someone who has been battered by life but has come through. It indicates a well-disciplined Red personality—one who has had difficult experiences and has not come through unmarked but who has grown and matured in the process.


	5. Crimson Fields

Disclaimer: "I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy."

Kiome-Yasha: "Hey guys, it's been awhile! I know I've been sort of everywhere when it comes to fanfics lately. I honestly hope I didn't lose any readers or reviewers because of it XD. Though recently, something dawn on me—empathy if you will. Lately, I haven't really "enjoyed" writing fanfics. I think it's because I felt so criticized lately of my work that I focused too hard on pleasing others instead of myself. A recent reviewer/reader reminded me of that—that the reason I even took upon writing is to enjoy it. With a new update of Blue Fields, I've come to realize that. I want to have a positive outlook of what I'm writing. Of course, I want it to be good for my readers too, but what good is that if I'm not enjoying it? I hope you guys will continue to read my stuff and leave reviews, because I don't want to let you guys down ;w;. I do want to get better at my grammar, but not at a price in losing my interest. So without further ado, here's chapter 5 of Blue Fields :3."

Chapter 5 Crimson Fields

Naminé was adjusting her contact lenses when she entered inside the kitchen, spotting her sister who was preparing for her concert.

"Good morning," Naminé greeted with a warm smile, "Want breakfast? I can fix you up something before you go."

"I'm good," she said, vigorously ironing her gown, "I don't have time to waste. I'm supposed to meet Uncle Setzer at the theater for rehearsal. I'm already a hour late!"

"You shouldn't stress, it'll effect your performance later," Naminé suggested with a frown.

"Don't worry, I'm not nervous about that," she said.

"I guess not, you're like a professional now," she commented sullenly with envy.

Larxene lifted her dress up to examine her work. "I think this is good enough. I won't be wearing it most of the time anyway. Can you give me that plastic bag over there so I can put it away?"

Naminé handed her the sack and quietly kept to herself in thought. The sudden silence didn't go unnoticed by the musician.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing…just thinking," she said.

"Oh no, trouble there," she mocked, "You're coming to my concert later, right?"

"Of course. You know I love to see you perform, ever since we were small," she mused with a smile.

"Okay, just making sure," she said, "Just don't forget to tell Roxas."

Naminé literally smacked her forehead from the reminder. "Oh no! I completely forgot about him! What's the matter with me?"

"How can you forget such a handsome face?" Larxene asked, "You better let him know today if I were you."

She sighed with disappointment. "I told my boss, but never my patient. What kind of physical therapist am I?"

"Don't whine about it," Larxene snapped with reassurance, "I'm sure he'll understand once you explain. You're new to this, so relax."

"I just hate the idea of failing someone."

"You're not failing anyone as you are yourself, Naminé," Larxene firmly explained.

She became consumed by doubt. "My job is to help him, not myself."

"Whatever you say," she countered, looking at the time, "Damn, I got to go! I'll catch you later! Be sure not to be late, or else!"

She giggled with a nod. "Don't worry, I won't."

Larxene hurried and made her way out the door, leaving her sister completely alone. Naminé stood and pondered over her schedule, taking the moment to leave for work herself. She headed back inside her bedroom to pick up her shoes, staring at her closet when slipping them on. Behind the door was a sanctuary lost forgotten during her youth, one she kept hoping to forget. Soon, precious memories from her past began to resurface, beckoning her to embrace them. She sighed and ignored the sudden emptiness inside her chest, finding her purpose to be elsewhere instead.

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Naminé made it out of the locker room and spotted Olette not too far off by the lobby area. She had Roxas's breakfast already prepared, hoping to help her friend in anyway she could during her short stay.

She ran up to her and sighed with relief. "Thanks, Olette! You're a lifesaver!"

She giggled and passed the tray of food over to her.

"It's not a problem. I was happy to help since I know you have your sister's concert today," she said.

They both started walking down the hallway towards the elevators. "Yeah, I really wish you could come."

"Yeah, sadly I'm booked today," she answered with a frown, "If I had known, I would have told my boss."

She smiled and pressed the button for the top floor. "It's okay, maybe next time."

It was then that Olette received a text message from Hayner.

"This guy really doesn't give up does he?" she asked aloud.

Naminé turned and sighed with a bit of sympathy. "Did I tell you what he did to me yesterday?"

"Oh no, don't tell me he tried to sneak in to see Roxas?"

She nervously looked away with a bit of guilt. "Well…"

"That psychopath." She sighed with irritation. "I honestly need to put a leash on him."

"I swear, you two act like you're married sometimes," Naminé said, giggling softly in amusement.

Olette glared at her, blushing softly. "Don't even joke like that! I'm just worried he'll keep harassing you is all."

The elevator rang, signaling its arrival. The doors slid open to the side, giving Naminé space to enter inside.

"Don't worry about me," she said with a confident smile, "I can handle myself. After all, you're my secret weapon. He gets scared just imagining what you'll do to him."

"Every man has a weakness I suppose." Olette checked the time through her phone. "I guess I'll leave you to your duties."

"Yeah, thanks again for the help Olette. I'll see you later," Naminé said, pressing the button to Roxas's floor.

She gave her friend a wink. "Yeah, see you later. Hope you have fun with that sexy patient of yours. Give him a nice rub during his next sponge bath, okay?"

Naminé quickly responded with a blush. "Olette!" The doors closed, her best friend grinning the whole time.

She sighed with frustration, her heart pounding wildly. "Geez, I get it, he's good looking! Not everyone has to remind me!"

She took a glance at the person next to her, never realizing she had company. Her cheeks heated up even more, feeling completely embarrassed over her little outburst.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"Don't worry about it." The person smiled, their nametag reading Aerith Gainsborough. "It's quite obvious already who this young man is, so don't mind me."

Naminé grumbled and sighed from the woman's playful words—it was just her luck to find someone else who had Olette's weird taste in humor. She waited patiently for her floor, bidding the woman a kind farewell before getting off. When the doors closed, she took a moment to relax her nerves. The blush on her face was still clear, and all she needed was Roxas asking why. The guy had an ego, and she didn't want to heighten it by knowing she had a possible attraction for him.

'_What am I saying!' _she exclaimed inside her mind, _'I'm not supposed to be thinking of stuff like that at all!' _She glared straight ahead at no one in particular. "I blame the people I hang around with."

She made it to the athlete's room, not even realizing she was fixing her hair. Taking in a deep breath, she prayed that his meal from yesterday would be gone. If she found another plate left untouched, she would have to take matters into her own hands.

She opened the door and entered his room. "Roxas?" she called out, "Are you awake? It's me, Naminé. It's time for breakfast."

"Yeah, I'm awake," he answered.

She walked around the curtains and smiled warmly at him. "Good morning!"

"Morning," he murmured, sinking his head into his pillow.

She placed the tray down and casually made her way over towards the blinds. "It's a beautiful day. So why don't we get some light in here?"

"Are you always a morning person?" he asked with a bit of irritation.

"Not really, but I try to make the most of it. You should know that about me by now," she said, making sure that the light wouldn't sting his eyes.

"How? I've only known you for a week."

"Best make the effort in getting to know each other then," she explained with a smile.

"You're going to kill me before I even get better," he joked with a soft chuckle.

"Last time I checked, the morning sun never killed anyone."

"How do you explain vampires then?"

She laughed at his childish argument. "Really? Vampires?"

He shrugged with a small smile. "Just saying."

She walked over to examine his charts. "How are you feeling this morning anyway?"

"Okay I guess, nothing unusual."

"How's your arm?"

"I think I'm gaining a little feeling back, but my legs are still numb."

"Hmm, that's to be expected. Five more weeks, and we'll be able to remove the cast from your arm. By then, we could at least start physical training from there," she said while writing down her notes, "Hopefully your legs will recover by then too."

"Hopefully?" he asked, scoffing with disbelief, "You sure sound optimistic."

"I'm just being realistic."

"Never was a girl who grew up dreaming about being a princess, huh?"

"Not really…I never had the time or luxury to have such thoughts,' she mused with a broken smile, keeping the clipboard close to her chest.

He frowned at her words and decided to change the subject. "Anyway, what's on the agenda today?"

"Nothing too much." She shuffled a bit where she stood, avoiding eye contact. "Actually, I can't stay long."

"What? Why?" he asked, sounding a bit upset.

She opened the lid to his meal. "I have a concert to go to."

"A concert?" He raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Yes, my sister, she's a violinist. She's playing today at the Notre Dame Theater," she answered humbly.

"Really? She's that good, huh?"

"One of the best. She's been playing the violin ever since we were small."

"Older, or younger?"

"Older. It's just us two." She passed him his tray and utensils.

"Sounds like you guys are close." He grudgingly stared at his meal, poking it gently with his fork.

She shrugged and answered tentatively, "Sort of. She can be pretty fierce and mean when she wants to be."

"Really?" He put his fork down, hoping she wouldn't notice. "And you can't?"

"Well, I just never had the backbone I guess."

"I find that hard to believe." He laughed, his eyes glistening brightly.

She smiled at his boyish charms—no wonder he had so many fans.

"You must have so many admirers with a smile like that," she said without thinking.

"Hehehe, it's nothing really special," he chuckled bashfully, which caught her by surprise, "I mean, my twin brother could do it. We practically look the same."

"Even so, yours is special," she told him with a comforting smile, reflecting on her own personal flaws, "I envy you, Roxas. You're really lucky."

He snorted from her words. "I wouldn't say that. I don't feel lucky."

"Don't worry, you'll be better in no time—and then—you can play baseball again! You can be the star you always wanted to be," she chimed happily, "But first things first, you got to eat," she stubbornly added with a motherly tone.

He slumped his head down and sighed in defeat. "I was hoping you wouldn't notice."

"You barely even touched your food," she said, "Did you even eat your dinner from last night?"

He looked away and gave a tense cough.

"I take that as a no." She shook her head with mild disappointment.

"I don't like the food here," he finally admitted.

"That's an excuse only a child would say. Are you a child?"

"No…" he muttered.

She searched around the area, asking curiously, "Where's your dinner anyway? Did they take it away?"

"No, it's over there." He pointed to the garbage bin next to him. "I threw it out."

She laughed warily, picking up a magazine in the process that was inside. "At least you're honest. Although, we really need to fix that." She harmlessly studied the cover, recognizing the person in the front to be Vanitas.

"How are we going to do that?" he asked doubtfully.

"Don't worry, I think I might have something in mind. I can't have you starving on my watch. I'm surprised you never even passed out yet." She continued to examine the magazine, flipping through the pages.

"Well, not like I didn't take bites," he said defensively.

"Either way, starting next week, I'm going to change that," she said with determination, "Though I'm surprised, I thought you would be upset in me leaving early today—given my absence earlier on Tuesday."

"Well I'm in trouble for not eating; and you're in trouble for leaving me to fend for myself for another day. I say we're even." He shrugged, choosing not to acknowledge her presence as too much of an importance.

She smiled at his logic, directing her attention on magazine instead. "By the way, why is this in the trash? It's a sport cover isn't it?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, weren't you reading it?"

"Yeah, I finished it. I don't need it anymore." His tone sounded hostile.

She frowned, becoming concern at his sudden mood change. "Do you know the player on the cover?"

He sighed with annoyance. "He's an asshole, that's all you need to know."

"Is he your attacker?" she asked innocently.

The question caught him off guard, causing him to lose his temper. "What's with the damn questions?"

"I'm sorry," she hastily apologized.

He shook his head and rubbed his eyes with frustration. "There's no need for you to apologize, okay? Just…make me better. That's all you need to worry about."

"You're…you're right," she said with a shameful nod.

"Look, you can leave early if you want to. I'll be okay on my own. I'll eat my breakfast and take my medicine. That's what you wanted to hear, right?" he asked with hoarse cough, "Right now, I'm not a easy person to talk to; so you're better off going."

"Roxas, you don't have to feel like everyone is against you. I'm here to help you, but…I'm also here to be your friend," she tried to explain.

"What does that mean exactly?"

"I'm just saying—if you need someone to talk to—I'm here to listen. I'm not going to give up on you." She giggled lightly. "No matter how much of a tough guy you try to be."

"Naminé…" He grinned hopelessly. "You're truly going to be the death of me, huh?"

She smiled with relief over how quickly she was able to calm him. "You don't know the half of it. Although you're right, I shouldn't meddle into things you're obviously not comfortable with in talking about. So, either way, I'm sorry. It's something I tend to do a lot. I guess, in my own way, I'm trying to atone for my own mistakes and dreams."

"Dreams? I thought you weren't a dreamer?" he asked with mild interest.

"You'll be surprised. Once upon a time, I probably was." She shook her head, and dismissed the thought. "Anyway, I'll leave early if you don't need me then."

"Well, you don't have to," he said, scratching the side of his head rather shyly.

"No, I should. I actually fear my sister's wrath rather than your temper," she answered playfully.

"Hey..." He sulked a bit from her comment, but smiled anyway.

She set down the magazine and ripped the corner to one of the pages, taking out a pen in the process. She scribbled some numbers down, and passed the note to Roxas with a gracious smile.

"Here, it's my cellphone number. You can call me anytime you need me," she said.

"Uh, thanks." He took the torn paper with a cautious glance. "I'll call you so you can save mine too."

"Okay," she said.

He called her, allowing her to save his number. "I got it." She put her phone away, feeling guilty. "I feel real bad in leaving so soon."

"Don't worry, I got the game to watch. So you're free to go," he notified.

"Well I am your therapist, so don't hesitate to call," she said.

He nodded, sensing a bit of sadness inside her voice. "Yeah, I'll try to keep that in mind."

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Naminé hastily clipped on her earrings, checking her make-up once more inside the mirror. She was lucky enough to come home so earlier, taking a quick shower and everything in preparation for her sister's concert. She breathed heavily and set her hair up into a bun, allowing her curls to fall graciously across her face. It framed her cheeks, giving attention towards her eyes. Realizing the time, she zipped up her dress and made a beeline for the door. She smoothed out her gown, receiving another text from her sister to hurry up.

"I'm going as fast as I can!" she exclaimed defensively, not liking the pressure.

She went out the door and quickly got inside her car that was parked in the front. Fastening her seatbelt, she carefully drove out of her spot and headed for the theater. She checked the time, making sure she wasn't late. Luckily the theater wasn't far, so she didn't have to rush. She turned the corner and found her destination already swamped with a crowd. Slowly driving forward, she spotted her uncle in the distance checking tickets.

"Uncle Setzer!" She called out, bringing down her window.

"Oh! Naminé!" He beamed at her presence. "You're just in time, my dear. I'll have someone park your car inside our lot. You just head inside and take your seat. The show will start soon!"

"Oh!" She was startled from the convenience. "Okay, thank you!"

She slipped off her seatbelt and carefully got out of the car. Her uncle led her onto the sidewalk, kindly clearing her a path. Naminé maneuvered through the crowd, entering inside the lobby area. She was amazed by the golden structure of the décor, admiring each detail that she could. The stairs and basically everything else was made out of marble, perfecting the glow of the chandeliers that hung from above. She was left distracted, gradually making her way towards the doors. When she entered inside the theater's dome, she was embarrassed by how overdressed she was. Everyone was dressed casually for the occasion, and it made her feel out of place.

She went to the side to ask for assistance. "Excuse me, where do I sit?"

The clerk took her ticket and carefully examined it. "Ah, Miss Naminé." He pointed to the seat up front. "You're right up there. Just follow the row and you'll find your number."

"Thank you," she said, already making her way ahead.

The theater was pretty much full by now, and everyone was getting prepared for the show. Naminé sat down in the front, and patiently waited for the lights to dim. She took out her phone and quickly switched it to silent mode, not wanting to disturb her sister's performance. She viewed the stage, becoming quite overwhelmed by the spectra of it all. There was no amount of praise that could dispel the insignificance she felt at that very moment—she felt ashamed to have even been invited. The curtains drew back, and everyone quickly got assorted into their seats. Their voices faded as her uncle walked up onto the stage.

"Welcome everyone! I am honored to be here today to present a well-known and talented musician! She's known for her unique style of music, and captivating choreographic violin performances. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you my niece and upcoming star composer, Larxene Cole!" He signaled her onto the stage, erupting many to cheer.

She walked over with a forced smile, thanking their uncle for the warm welcome.

"I shall start with a personal favorite of mine, 'Song of the Caged bird'," she announced, lifting her violin onto her shoulder.

She closed her eyes and patiently waited for everyone to become silent. The wand to her violin slid and she instantly began to play. She gracefully moved across the stage, striking each note. It enchanted the audience, leading them into a spell. Naminé was left in awe by the way she danced, forming shadows beneath the shifting lights from above. The intensity of it all made her numb with nowhere to run—and for someone like her—it's all she wanted to do.

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Roxas growled at the screen as one of his teammates was called out from another strike. The score was now seven to two, and they were already in the eighth inning. At this rate, they'll never be able to make it to the playoffs.

"Dammit, I can't watch anymore," he said, turning off the TV, "I should be there playing with them."

He looked out the window, finding the sun to have already set. Oddly enough, he thought about Naminé. Her words from earlier still haunted him, wanting to know her secrets. There was obviously more to her than meets the eye—even as cliché as they may have sound. She was no more than a stranger to him, but somehow, she caught his interest by surprise. He wondered if she had a knack in doing that to all the people she met.

There was no one around; maybe he should make a call? There was no harm in checking on her, right?

He observed his surroundings, making sure he was completely alone. He took out his phone, her name flashing onto his screen.

"This is stupid," he said, "I don't even know her."

'_Still, she did give you her number…' _his conscious stated.

He clung to his phone, hoping to make up his mind. There was no telling what he would say to her, even if she did pick up. Either way, he wanted to try.

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Naminé walked amongst the crowd with her sister, trying her best to escape from the swarm. The show had ended not too long ago, and there was already a flock of people waiting outside to greet them.

"This is such a pain in the ass," Larxene said beneath her breath.

"What do you expect? They loved your performance," Naminé said, trying her best to be cheerful.

"Yeah, but I have plans," she berated quietly, "And I don't want to waste time by signing autographs all night."

Naminé sighed at her sister's inconsideration towards her fans. "Sometimes, you're unbelievable."

"Girls!" They looked over towards their uncle who was calling for them. "Over here!"

They walked over to him, bypassing the horde of people that were blocking their way. Naminé recognized her car right away when it drove up to the front—she never felt so relieved.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay, Naminé?" her uncle asked.

"No thank you. I rather go home and get some sleep," she said.

"Just let her go," Larxene asserted with exasperation, "There's no use in convincing her to say once she makes up her mind."

"Well, if you're sure," he said.

Naminé nodded with reassurance. "Trust me, I'm sure. You guys have fun without me."

"Okay." They nodded and proceeded to let her leave.

She walked around her car to turn on the ignition, wasting no time to make her escape. She could already feel her emotions starting to overwhelm her, suppressing her lungs by each breath she took. She hurried home, avoiding each light she passed. When she turned the corner towards her street, she parked right away. It was far from her apartment, but she didn't really care. She set the alarm to the car and made her way up the pavement to open the door. She was desperately seeking to collapse, not even realizing the multiple calls she was getting. When she made it inside, she instantly made her way towards her room. It was quiet, and the perfect sanctuary she needed at that moment to be alone.

'_And I hate being alone,' _she confided painfully.

She made her way towards her wardrobe and hesitantly decided to open it, frowning deeply from what she saw. Multiple paintings were framed across layers of shelves, their colors hidden beneath the closet's shadow. She flicked on the light that hung from the ceiling, exposing their details. A picture stood at the center, capturing the smiles of a time taken long ago. The room was kept as a constant reminder of the life she could of had—the person she could have been. It seemed like fate had other plans though—not that she didn't mind—she wanted to help others.

"Still, why is it that I feel this way?" she asked mournfully, "Why do I feel the need to come back here?" She gave a hopeless laugh. "I'm so tired. If Larxene saw me now, she would think I'm acting melodramatic again."

'_In this case you are,' _her conscious told her.

She frowned and sat herself down on the floor. "It's not like I mean to." She yawned and leaned her head over onto the wall. "I feel so tired, I just want to rest and forget."

Her purse slid off from her shoulder, knocking her phone right out of her bag. She never did switch her volume back on, becoming oblivious towards any messages that may have came in. That's when Roxas's name flashed across the screen, indicating another missed call. Not that she answered it—for she was already asleep.

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Larxene stumbled into the hall of the entryway area, her cheeks completely flushed from the alcohol. She dropped her belongings onto the floor and clumsily made her way into the kitchen.

"Naminé, you awake?" she asked aloud, grabbing a bottle of water along the way.

She took what felt like a journey towards her room, finding her to be fast asleep inside her closet.

Larxene sighed at the sight. "Dammit, Naminé, again with this shit? You can be so predictable sometimes."

She stomped her way over, almost breaking her cellphone that was left on the floor. She bent down and took a glance to see if there were any missed calls.

Much to her surprise, there was one of a person she didn't expect. "Roxas? Why would he be calling?" She gazed down at her sister, a grin spreading across her lips. "Well, isn't this interesting?"

She tucked the phone away into her sister's purse and lifted her off the floor. "Come on, pain in the ass."

Naminé groaned inside her sleep, resisting the urge to move. Larxene managed to get her on top of the bed though, not bothering to tuck her in.

She slipped off her shoes and accessories, quietly throwing a tantrum. "Honestly, you should be the one putting _**me **_to bed."

Naminé snored soundlessly as her only response.

"You're lucky I'm drunk, or else I wouldn't be doing this," she said with a glare.

She went over to the closet and examined each painting with nostalgia. There simply was no way to ignore the pain her sister was trying to hide. However, Roxas's number on her phone did strike a bit of a shock—maybe she was trying hard after all. Not long, she turned off the light switch that hung from above, and quietly called it a night.

End Chapter

Kiome-Yasha: "We got a bit of a tease on Roxas's past in the last chapter with Xion being mentioned, now we got some stuff about Naminé's :3. There's more to their story, trust me. I'm not going to make this story depressing, as it is hopeful. Still, some interesting things will unfold, as Roxas and Naminé get closer by each chapter. This story focuses on them a lot, including the bonds they have with others. I hope everyone is looking forward to it ;w;. I shall be updating this story A LOT more, since I really just want to work on one story at a time. So far, this one is my favorite. I seriously need to revise Whispers in the Dark during the meantime. Hope you all can be patient with me as I wiggle everything out :3. I appreciate all the favs, alert, and reviews! I can't thank you guys enough for supporting me. I'll try not to let you guys down!

Special thanks goes to _**DestinyKeyblader28, Tsunayuki Kozato, Gohan Roxas, Kinmoku2, somenewbie, Gumi Harue, SummonerDagger88, TheWitchNamine, Starseeker358, Chibylove, Fasak, Guest, EnterAbyss2991, Sorasprincesss, RedSeaGlassStories, **_and _**Rosekun25**_ for the reviews! I also will like to thank _**XxKyreenxX, Schattenlos, maluka, athgeass, VLeGrimm, DiosSegador9898, ihuswum24, soushin5, Floweraise, Mickychan88, PathethicalyInLove, Namiroku, Dragonflies87, kunekomimi96, akemithebazookagirl, **_and _**callmenever **_for all the favs and alerts! I hope I caught everyone and didn't miss any :(. Thank you all for the lovely support! I hope to hear more feedback soon to see what you guys thought about the chapter! :3 Until next update everyone!"

**Crimson: **has a little blue in it. It indicates a determination to succeed but without upsetting anyone else. It emits sensuality rather than sexuality.


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